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Light-fired thyristor development: Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6561103

A light-triggered thyristor was developed and its application demonstrated on a 13.8 kV rms, 1200 A rms, ac switch using 24 series-connected devices operating in one phase of a static var compensator at the Minnesota Power substation at Shannon. In the extension of this program, a second-generation light-triggered thyristor was developed with internal overvoltage protection (safe turn-on at a preset overvoltage level) and significantly improved dv/dt characteristic. The report describes the technology and the specific tests of the self-protected thyristor. A redesigned ac switch, to be operated at the Shannon substation with only 16 series-connected thyristors of the self-protected, light-triggered type, is also described, including the performance verification by high power, full-scale dynamic tests. A study is presented of the light-triggering systems for thyristors in which new light sources and improvements in the circuit technology are evaluated.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Research and Development Center; Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
6561103
Report Number(s):
EPRI-EL-5125; ON: TI87920403
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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