The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Igbt Rectifier

At Sinepower, we know that finding the right product can be an exhausting task. Thus, in this brief article, I would like to specify the main differences between an IGBT rectifier and a 12 pulse rectifier so that when the time comes to choose the best power unit you can make an educated choice. 

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IGBT stands for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor. It is a three terminal electronic device that is used as a switch. IGBTs have a pretty good current handling capacity when compared to standard BJTs (Bipolar junction transistor) and MOSFETs (metal–oxide–silicon transistor). IGBTs are devices whose switching is fully controlled electronically. 

IGBT Rectifier

6 Pulse Rectifier

Most standard rectifiers in the market are typically 6-pulse rectifiers. They consist of six regular diodes, as shown in the picture above. 6 pulse and 12 pulse rectifiers tend to be cheaper to build though they have major disadvantages, such as worse Harmonic Content and Power Factor, when compared with active IGBT rectifier. They also only operate in 2 quadrants while the IGBT Rectifiers operate in 4 quadrants. That can be problematic with some loads and it gives worse dynamic response.

The main advantage of the IGBT Rectifier is the fact it produces a sinusoidal input current with low harmonics at the input with unity Power Factor through most of the load range. The 4 quadrant operation is also an important plus due to its versatility and better response.

In conclusion:

IGBT rectifiers have “cleaner” input currents, which translates into better performance with a small cost in efficiency. In general, they have less ripple factor and better harmonics performance. They easily comply with all the Grid Harmonic Injection regulations, in fact exceeding all the requirements. IGBTs work under more recent technology.

Overall, I could say they are more cost-efficient long-term.

At Sinepower, we use IGBT technology in our SFC and in our V2G chargers, while most of the competition out there still opt for the older 6 and 12 pulse rectifiers.

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