Research on a New 12-Pulse Step-Up and Step-Down Aviation Auto-Transformer Rectifier

This paper presents a new step-up and step-down multi-pulse auto-transformer rectifier unit (ATRU) topology. This structure can achieve a wide range of output voltages, which solves the problem of auto-transformer output voltage being difficult to regulate. Adding middle taps to the primary winding and reasonably setting the number of auto-transformer windings, constituted two groups of three-phase output voltages with a 30 degrees phase difference. Multi-pulse output DC voltage is obtained after a three-phase output voltage across two rectifier bridges and inter-phase reactor. Thus, the output DC voltage is related to the number and configuration of the auto-transformer winding. In this paper, the relationship between the voltage ratio of the auto-transformer and the ratio of winding, input current and auto-transformer kilovoltampere rating are deduced and validated by simulations. On this basis, the output voltage range is optimized. An experiment on two different voltage ratio principle prototypes was carried out to verify the correctness of the analysis design.