Power Supply Unit Primary Side Control Circuit Standby Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical installations with voltage converters in stand-by mode continue to consume significant power due to the primary side powering the secondary side, leading to energy losses and high cumulative energy consumption in homes and industries.
Innovation Solution
A power management system with a primary side control circuit that can turn the power supply to the secondary side ON or OFF, using a system power management unit to receive external or internal control signals for wake-up and power-down modes, reducing energy consumption by managing the primary power path and providing a PWM signal for efficient power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the voltage converter remains powered in stand-by mode to maintain system functionality, then the system can wake up quickly, but the power consumption is high due to continuous operation of the converter and secondary side
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into primary side and secondary side components. The control circuit on the primary side can independently manage power flow to the secondary side, allowing selective shutdown of the converter and secondary supply lines while maintaining minimal primary side functionality for wake-up detection and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions between active and stand-by modes periodically, with the primary side control circuit enabling rapid transition back to active mode when wake-up signals are detected, effectively creating periodic power cycles that minimize overall energy consumption while maintaining responsiveness.
2Loss of energy
If the converter is turned OFF in stand-by mode to reduce energy losses, then power consumption decreases, but the system cannot wake up quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The primary side control circuit remains in a low-power ready state with minimal components powered (such as the control circuit itself and wake-up signal detection components), performing preliminary preparation that allows rapid transition to full operation without requiring complete system shutdown, thus enabling fast wake-up while minimizing energy loss.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If additional components are added to manage power-down mode, then energy efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The primary side control circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: it manages the voltage converter operation, controls secondary side power supply, detects wake-up signals, and coordinates the power-down mode activation. This multi-functional design consolidates power management capabilities into a single control unit, improving energy efficiency without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns an electrical installation or device equipped with a power supply unit comprising a voltage converter having primary and secondary parts respectively defining a primary side and a secondary side of this electrical installation or device. This power supply unit comprises a power management unit arranged on said primary side, the primary part of the converter being associated with a control circuit also arranged on said primary side and controlling the electrical energy flowing in the primary power path of said primary part. The control circuit receives from the power management unit at least a first control signal for switching OFF the electrical energy in said primary power path, said power supply unit entering a very low power mode ("Power-down" mode) when said first control signal is set to OFF so that the converter is not supplied anymore. The power management unit is arranged such that, in said very low power mode, it can receive or generate at least a wake-up signal and set to ON said first control signal in response to said wake-up signal for supplying again said primary and secondary parts of the converter.