PFC Converter Harmonic Compensation for Motor Power Supplies

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Harmonic components in input current cause noise, heat generation, and vibration in electronic apparatuses, typically due to design errors or wear of electronic elements, necessitating replacement or redesign of components.

Innovation Solution

A power supply device with a PFC converter that includes a rectifier circuit, a PFC converter part, and an inverter part, equipped with detection and control mechanisms to identify and offset harmonic components in the input current, ensuring the voltage and current phases are aligned, using high-pass filters and control methods like P, PI, or PID to generate PWM signals for switch control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a conventional PFC converter is used without harmonic detection, then the device complexity is low, but harmonic components cause noise, heat generation, and vibration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise and vibrationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by detecting harmonic components in the input current before they cause significant noise and vibration issues. The controller proactively generates compensation signals to cancel out detected harmonics, preventing rather than merely responding to harmful effects. This is achieved through continuous monitoring of input current harmonics and preemptive correction through the PFC converter.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using a detection circuit to continuously monitor harmonic components in the input current, feeding this information back to the controller. The controller then adjusts the PFC converter's operation based on this feedback to cancel out the detected harmonics. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables dynamic compensation of harmonic distortions, effectively reducing noise and vibration while maintaining system stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the PFC converter aligns voltage and current phases to improve power factor, then the power factor improves, but additional control mechanisms increase device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower factorVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the power factor correction function with harmonic compensation functionality into a single integrated PFC converter system. Rather than adding separate PF correction and harmonic filtering devices, the invention combines both functions in one converter with unified control, reducing overall system complexity while achieving both power factor improvement and harmonic reduction simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The PFC converter in the patent is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a power factor correction device and a harmonic compensation device. The single converter unit performs multiple functions: rectification, power factor improvement, and active harmonic filtering. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated circuits for each function, thereby managing device complexity while achieving multiple objectives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If replacement or redesign of electronic elements is performed to resolve harmonic issues, then harmonic components are reduced, but manufacturing cost and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveharmonic componentsVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the operating parameters of the existing PFC converter through software-based control rather than changing physical components. The controller modifies switching frequencies, duty cycles, and compensation signals based on detected harmonic conditions, achieving harmonic reduction through parameter optimization instead of hardware replacement or redesign.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service by automatically detecting and compensating for its own harmonic distortions without requiring external intervention or component replacement. The PFC converter monitors its own input current, identifies harmonic components, and autonomously generates compensation signals to correct the issue, eliminating the need for manual diagnosis, component replacement, or system redesign.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4686081A1Power supply device, electronic device including same, and power supply method
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4686081A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4686081A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4686081A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a power supply device, an electronic device including the power supply device, and a power supply method. The electronic device comprises: a motor; a power supply device for receiving AC power to generate DC power; a motor driver for receiving the DC power and generating driving power to provide the driving power to the motor; and a processor for providing the motor driver with a control signal for controlling the motor. The power supply device comprises: a rectifier circuit for rectifying the AC power; a PFC converter unit for matching voltage and current of the rectified AC power in the same phase; and an inverter unit for transforming output power of the PFC converter unit into power of a preconfigured first magnitude, and outputting the transformed power, wherein the PFC converter unit identifies a harmonic component of the current rectified by the rectifier circuit, and matches the voltage and current of the rectified AC power in the same phase on the basis of the identified harmonic component.