Active Power Conditioner Segmented Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional active power conditioners face issues with high installation costs, volume, and reduced reliability due to the use of high-capacitance DC capacitors and increased switching losses from multiple power electronic switches operating at high frequency, which affect power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An active power conditioner configuration using three power electronic switch sets, where only one set is controlled for high-frequency switching, and the others for low-frequency switching, eliminating the need for a DC capacitor and reducing the number of high-frequency switches, thereby minimizing installation costs and improving reliability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple power electronic switch sets are operated at high frequency to regulate voltage, then voltage regulation performance is improved, but switching losses increase and power efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the switching frequency operation among different switch sets. Specifically, only one power electronic switch set (the parallel-type converter) operates at high frequency for precise voltage regulation, while the other switch sets (serial-type converter) operate at lower frequency. This segmentation reduces total switching losses while maintaining voltage regulation performance through coordinated operation of the different switch sets.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a high-capacitance DC capacitor is used to maintain stable DC voltage, then voltage stability is improved, but installation volume and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the DC capacitor from the conventional active power conditioner circuit. Instead of using a large-capacitance DC capacitor to maintain voltage stability, the system uses the coordinated operation of the serial-type and parallel-type converters with differential voltage detection and control to achieve voltage stabilization without requiring large energy storage capacitors, thereby reducing installation volume and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operating parameters and control strategy of the power electronic converters. By using pulse-width modulation (PWM) control and differential voltage detection, the system can maintain stable output voltage with much smaller or no DC capacitor, effectively changing the voltage stabilization mechanism from capacitor-based energy storage to converter-based active control.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a high-capacitance DC capacitor is used to establish stable DC voltage, then voltage stability is improved, but reliability decreases due to increased cost and volume
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the DC capacitor from the system, eliminating the reliability issues associated with large-capacitance capacitors such as aging, leakage, and failure. The voltage stability function is transferred to the active control mechanism of the power electronic converters, which have higher reliability and longer operational life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the passive capacitor-based voltage stabilization mechanism with an active electronic control mechanism. Instead of relying on the physical properties of large capacitors, the system uses PWM-controlled power electronic switches and control circuits to actively regulate voltage, improving reliability through more robust electronic control.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple power electronic switch sets are controlled at high frequency, then voltage regulation precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the high-frequency switching operation to only one switch set (parallel-type converter), while the other switch sets operate at lower frequency. This segmentation reduces the overall complexity of high-frequency switching control while maintaining voltage regulation precision through the coordinated action of the different switch sets, each operating at optimized frequency levels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces switching losses, decreases installation costs and volume, and enhances the reliability and efficiency of the active power conditioner by maintaining DC voltage stability without a DC capacitor, while providing a stable voltage to the load during AC power source variations.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the power electronic switch sets 81, 82, 83 has two power electronic switches serially connecting with each other
Implementation Method 2
The DC capacitor 86 provides a stable DC voltage for the serial-type converter and the parallel-type converter
Implementation Method 3
The input filter 84 and the output filter 85 are employed to filter out the harmonics caused by switching the parallel-type converter and the serial-type converter respectively in high frequency
Data Source
AI summary
An active power conditioner includes a first power electronic switch set, a second power electronic switch set, a third power electronic switch set, an input filter and an output filter. The active power conditioner can supply a stable AC voltage to a load when a voltage variation occurs at an AC power source by controlling either the second power electronic switch set or the third power electronic switch set via high-frequency switching, and the other power electronic switch sets that are not switched in high frequency are controlled to switch in low-frequency switching.