Protection of the Rectifier in Converter Installation Using Reed Switches

It is noted that the disadvantages of the traditional method of protecting rectifiers in converter installations during valve failures include low speed and sensitivity. As an alternative, the use of miniature magnetic-sensitive sensors, reed switches, which have proven themselves well in technology, is proposed. It is mentioned that at Toraighyrov University, the first attempt was made to develop protection for the rectifier in a converter installation using reed switches. It is emphasized that at low load currents, such protection may have insufficient sensitivity due to the need to roughen the settings. An improved protection device is proposed, which eliminates this drawback by using a bias winding for each reed switch, three current relays, an additional auxiliary power source, and a signaling unit. The behavior of the protection in various operating modes of the converter installation is analyzed. It is shown that monitoring the health of the bias windings can significantly reduce potential protection failures in operation.