Thyristor converters are used in a wide variety of applications such as industrial drives and power supplies. During the process of power conversion, harmonics of varying levels are introduced in the output. It becomes necessary to limit the harmonic content below a specified value. While the computation of harmonics by analytical methods is not possible, the only other method is to record the actual waveform and analyze it using a computer. In the method analysis proposed, the experimental waveform is monitored and stored using a digital oscilloscope and then analyzed using a personal computer system. It is possible to evaluate different types of converters and identify sources of malfunction by this method. In a conventional thyristor rectifier, an attempt to reduce the out put voltage by increasing the firing angle results in a low power factor. It is proposed to develop converter systems with improved power factor by adding a suitable force-commutation circuit. This simulating package I-G SPICE will be used to design and analyze new converter configurations. The outcome of the research, thus, will have a definite impact on the current thyristor drive technology.
