Method of controlling half-controlled rectifier, and rectifier structure

1. A method of controlling a half-controlled rectifier, the rectifier comprising:

positive and a negative busbar of a DC intermediate circuit,

a capacitor of the DC intermediate circuit, which is connected between the positive and the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit, and

phase-specific series connections of a diode and a gate-triggered semiconductor component, which are connected between the positive and the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit so that the anode of the diode is connected to the anode of the gate-triggered semiconductor component, and the cathode of the gate-triggered semiconductor component is connected to the positive busbar, whereby each of the points between the diodes and the gate-triggered semiconductor components forms the input of one phase for the voltage to be rectified, wherein the rectifier further comprises

an auxiliary intermediate circuit, which comprises a positive and a negative busbar and phase-specific series connections of two diodes connected to the auxiliary intermediate circuit, where the anode of the first diode is connected to the anode of the second diode and the cathode of the second diode is connected to the positive busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit, whereby each of the points between the diodes connected in series is connected to the input of the voltage to be rectified,

a first isolating diode, which is connected between the positive busbar of the DC intermediate circuit and the positive busbar of the auxiliary circuit so that the cathode of the first isolating diode is connected to the positive busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit and the anode to the positive busbar of the DC intermediate circuit, and

a second isolating diode, which is connected between the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit and the negative busbar of the auxiliary circuit so that the anode of the second isolating diode is connected to the negative busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit and the cathode to the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit, whereby the method comprises the following steps during charging of the DC intermediate circuit

forming rectified voltage functioning as the target voltage for the DC intermediate circuit from the inputs of the auxiliary intermediate circuit,

forming phase-specific trigger pulses for the gate-triggered semiconductor components,

advancing trigger pulses with respect to a network cycle of the supply voltage, which increases the conducting time of the gate-triggered semiconductor components and the voltage of the DC intermediate circuit,

determining phase currents of inputs in a phase-specific manner,

comparing phase currents with a phase current limit,

delaying ignition pulses when the phase current exceeds the phase current limit,

comparing the voltage of the DC intermediate circuit with the target voltage,

controlling the gate-triggered components to the conductive state for the maximum time when the difference between the target voltage and the voltage of the DC intermediate circuit is below a predetermined limit.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

storing the voltage of the positive busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit,

using the stored voltage as the target voltage.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the steps of

comparing the phase voltages with the voltage of the positive busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit in a phase-specific manner,

generating gate current in a phase-specific manner for the gate-triggered component when the phase voltage is higher than the voltage which is a predetermined amount lower than the positive busbar.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the generation and advancing of trigger pulses comprises the steps of

forming a substantially triangular voltage wave form comparable to each phase voltage of the voltage to be rectified,

generating phase-specific rising ramp voltages, which substantially have a constant rising rate,

comparing the triangular voltage with the ramp voltage in a phase-specific manner,

triggering the gate-triggered semiconductor component to the conductive state on the basis of the comparison when the triangular voltage is smaller than the ramp voltage,

determining phase currents of inputs in a phase-specific manner,

comparing phase currents with the phase current limit, and

decreasing the ramp voltage when the phase current exceeds the phase current limit.

5. A rectifier structure which comprises a positive and a negative busbar of a DC intermediate circuit,

a capacitor of the DC intermediate circuit, which is connected between the positive and the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit, and

a half-controlled rectifying bridge, which comprises phase-specific series connections of a diode and a gate-triggered semiconductor component, which are connected between the positive and the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit so that the anode of the diode is connected to the anode of the gate-triggered semiconductor component, and the cathode of the gate-triggered semiconductor component is connected to the positive busbar, whereby each of the points between the diodes and the gate-triggered semiconductor components forms the input of one phase for the voltage to be rectified, wherein the rectifier further comprises

an auxiliary intermediate circuit, which comprises a positive and a negative busbar and phase-specific series connections of two diodes connected to the auxiliary intermediate circuit, where the anode of the first diode is connected to the anode of the second diode and the cathode of the second diode is connected to the positive busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit, whereby each of the points between the diodes connected in series is connected to the input of the voltage to be rectified,

a first isolating diode, which is connected between the positive busbar of the DC intermediate circuit and the positive busbar of the auxiliary circuit so that the cathode of the first isolating diode is connected to the positive busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit and the anode to the positive busbar of the DC intermediate circuit, and

a second isolating diode, which is connected between the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit and the negative busbar of the auxiliary circuit so that the anode of the second isolating diode is connected to the negative busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit and the cathode to the negative busbar of the DC intermediate circuit.

6. A rectifier structure according to claim 5 , wherein the rectifier structure further comprises a transient overvoltage protector, which is connected between the positive and the negative busbar of the auxiliary intermediate circuit.

7. A rectifier structure according to claim 5 , wherein a power source is arranged in the rectifier structure, whereby the auxiliary intermediate circuit is arranged to feed voltage into the power source.