Volume 46, Number 3, 2005 141

Line-Conditioning with the Help of the

PWM DC Converters - An Alternative to
the Power Conditioning Converters
Richard MARSCHALKO, Ciprian SALOMIR and Mircea BOJAN
Abstract: The paper deals with the very actual problem of the public line conditioning. The concept of
active and complex line-conditioning with the help of the power electronic PWM DC converters is discussed.
Then are investigated the possibilities to implement the active line-conditioning based on the PWM
AC-to-DC converters and switched-mode power supplies, SMPSs. As a result the paper proposes attractive
alternative solutions to the actual power conditioning equipments, static reactive power compensators or
active filters.

Keywords: Active and complex line - conditioning concept, the PWM AC-to-DC converter as
line-conditioner equipment, development of the SMPSs for line-conditioning, unified control strategy.

1. Introduction
The AC mains is a huge, technically
created system. His stability and sustainable
development is as much important like that
one of a naturally existing one. With the
purpose to conserve the quality of the
electrical energy, the producers, the operators
of the network and the high majority of the
users respect a lot of rules, recommendations
and standards. Unfortunately, the electronic
consumers, due even to their operation
principle, disturb the network. As a result
special line-harmonics regulations were
introduced, [1], [2]. Thanks to these
regulations, a new class of power electronic
converters provided with power factor control,
PFC, was developed. These power electronic
equipments operate line-friendly from the
point of view of the utilities but are not able to
reduce the negative effect of other consumers
that disturb the network. In addition, it is
important to observe that even the PWM
AC-to-DC converters are able to act as power
conditioning equipments, POCON, [3]. The
switched-mode power supplies, SMPSs,
provided with active power factor control,
Active PFC, [4], are also able to be developed
in the same direction.
The latest researches in the domain of the
new power relations definition and their
application, [5], [6], offer the possibility to
determine the actual state of the mains at a
point of common coupling, PCC. As a result
we anticipate that in the following ten-year
periods, the operators of the public utilities or
the users oneself will inject in the network a
special signal to inform the local consumers
about the necessity to run in capacitive or
inductive operation mode. With the help of
this signal, more sophisticated control
strategies as the power factor control, PFC,
could be introduced. Consequently new
solutions dedicated to preserve the quality of
the electrical energy will be developed, as an
alternative to the actual solutions, based on the
power conditioning equipments, static
reactive power compensators and active filters,
[7].

2. Line - conditioning strategies based on
the PWM DC converters
Figure 1 indicates a very general block
ACTA ELECTROTEHNICA 142
Fig.1. PWM DC converter in boost configuration.
diagram for a PWM controlled DC converter
in boost configuration.
If we want to apply such a PWM DC
converter in line conditioning, lagging or
logging line-current phasor reported to the AC
line-voltage phasor is necessary, so as
presented in Figure 2.
Taking into account the possibilities of
the power electronic converter associated with
the actual state of the mains, there are possible
to identify more situations when this power
electronic converter operates line-friendly
from the point of view of the utilities:
In the case of a control strategy with
simple line-conditioning, (1), supposing
sinusoidal line-voltages, there are generated
sinusoidal currents, without phase-difference
in respect to the voltages and the power
electronic converter is seen as an active
resistance, [2], [8], [9], [10]. This is the case of
the well-known active power factor control,
active PFC.
The PWM DC converter disturbs not the
ac mains. At the input of the converter the
apparent power is equal to the active power. If
the line-voltage phasor at the common point of
coupling is distorted, the effect of this kind of
simple line-conditioning is uncertain.
Supposing also sinusoidal line-voltages,
an active line-conditioning strategy, (2),
implies further sinusoidal currents, but with an
amplitude and a phase-difference in respect to
the voltages, which depends on the signal
injected in the network at the point of common
coupling. In this situation, the PWM DC
converter is acting at the rated-value of his
apparent power and the active-power at the
input corresponds to the necessities of the DC
load. The converter is running in capacitive or
inductive operation mode with the purpose to
Fig. 2. Phasor diagram on the AC side of a PWM DC converter.
Volume 46, Number 3, 2005 143
correct the negative effect of other inductive
or capacitive consumers connected to the PCC,
Figure 2. The PWM DC converter overtakes
now also the tasks of a static reactive power
compensator
Finally, the complex line-conditioning,
(3), near distorted line-voltages, supposes
non-sinusoidal line-currents, determined with
the purpose to improve the total harmonic
distortion factor or the form - factor of the
voltage at the PCC, [8]. As a result, the PWM
DC converter operates as an active filter too
and tries to diminish the negative effect of
other non-linear consumers connected to the
PCC.
Associated, the line-conditioning
strategies (2) and (3) offer to an AC-to-DC
converter the features of a versatile power
conditioner equipment.
Earlier researches, [11], [12], [13], [14]
prove us how the PWM AC-to-DC converters
provided with a line-friendly control strategy
are able to take over capacitive or inductive
operation too. As a result their application in
the domain of the active or complex
line-conditioning becomes possible, without
special efforts, with the help of an appropriate
control strategy.
In the case of the conventional
switched-mode power supplies, the operation
with negative current in the intermediate
DC-side is not possible. Therefore, with the
purpose to overtake line-conditioning tasks,
some changes in the topology of this kind of
converters are necessary.

3. Application of the PWM AC-to-DC
converter in active line-conditioning

The actual PWM AC-to-DC converters,
[2], [8], [9], [10], operate with the help of a
control strategy developed for simple
line-conditioning. Therefore these power
electronic equipments present the general
features of the high efficiency rectification
and are called as Unity Power Factor PWM
Rectifiers too.
The possibility to apply a PWM
AC-to-DC converter to active
line-conditioning was in detail investigated in
[15]. The studied single-phase converter,
associated with the appropriate control
strategy is presented in Figure 3. Figure 4 and
Figure 5 are destinated to present his
performances in this special operation mode,
with the help of more simulated results.
In Figure 4, after a short idling period, the
rectifier operation mode is imposed. The
Fig. 3. The PWM AC-to-DC converter with line-conditioning facilities.
ACTA ELECTROTEHNICA 144
C
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Time (s) Time (s) Time (s)
Fig. 4. The simulated results in the case of the rectifier operation-mode of the converter associated with inductive
line-conditioning.
line-current phasor is oriented across the
line-voltage phasor and the power-factor of
the converter is equal to 1. Then the inductive
active line-conditioning is imposed.
According to the principle depicted in
Figure 2, the amplitude of the line-current
phasor increases to his rated-value, the
converter operates at the rated-value of his
apparent power but the power factor decreases
to 0.7 due to the automatic current-phasor
shifting.
Figure 5 presents another investigated
transient processus. After the idling period
pure capacitive active line-conditioning is
studied. The apparent power at the input
increases to his rated-value and the power
factor becomes equal to 0. In the moment
when a generating consumer is connected at
the output of the converter, the line-current
phasor is automatically shifted, without
changements in amplitude. The power factor
at the input of the converter decreases to -0.6,
according to the capacitive inverter operation
mode.
All the other virtual experiments through
simulation presented the same performances
and satisfactory stability. As a result the
investigated PWM AC-to-DC converter could
be applied in active line-conditioning without
special restrictions.

4. Development of SMPSs for
line-conditioning

It is well-known that the switched-mode
power supplies are DC-converters that are
acting only in rectifier operation mode, being
conceived for different low power electric or
electronic equipments. The application of the
modern control strategies based on
synchronized rectification, soft commutation
and active power factor control improves the
versatility and the efficiency of this kind of
power supplies, [1], [16]. Unfortunately, these
converters are able to operate only
line-friendly, with simple line conditioning.
Capacitive or inductive running is not possible
due to the presence of the diode-rectifier at the
input.
P
o
w
e
r

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(
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Time (s) Time (s) Time (s)
Fig. 5. The simulated results corresponding to generating operation-mode of the converter associated with
capacitive active line-conditioning.
Volume 46, Number 3, 2005 145
Fig. 6. The new power electronic circuit developed for active or complex line-conditioning.
Figure 6, proposes a new power
electronic circuit that satisfies the needs of the
ge,
d
converter systems enhanced also with active
or complex line-conditioning capabilities.
The converter is based on two power
stages: a controlled Ac-to-DC rectifier sta
an a buck/boost DC-to-DC stage. The
AC-to-DC stage is characterized by low
switching frequency because the converter
operates only in CCM mode. The high
frequency component of the linecurrent and
the current shaping results through the
adequate control strategy, in the buck/boost
part of the converter. When the proposed
SMPS operates with simple lineconditioning,
the four IGBT transistors are in the off state.
The diode bridge and the boost converter are
active at this time. For active
line-conditioning the IGBT transistors will be
controlled too, and they will operate at the AC
mains frequency. The current shaping is
achieved in the high frequency part of the
converter which operates successively in
boost mode associated with the diode-bridge,
and in buck mode associated with the IGBT
transistor bridge. This special operation mode
of the new proposed switched mode power
supply is depicted in Figure 7, with the help of
the line-voltage, u(t) and the fundamental of
the linecurrent, i
f
(t).
Fig. 7. The low frequency and high frequency commutation.
ACTA ELECTROTEHNICA 146
Fig. 8. The low frequency current commutation in the intermediary stage.
Figure 8 illustrates the low frequency
current commutation in the intermediary stage
th
e not considered. As a result
ng the high
eq
oo
m
y is able also to
ver
e losses in the first, low frequency
es limited design efforts;
of e converter.
The high-frequency component of the
DC-current is her
the operation of the rectifier part of the
investigated SMPS presents more formal
similarities with the well-known capacitor
commutated rectifiers, [17], [18].
According to Figure 9, the real wave-shape
of the rectified current, includi
fr uency processes results in the DC-to-DC
stage, with the help of unipolar modulation.
The here investigated SPMS seems to
have an electronic configuration that is t
co plex reported to the classical solutions.
But his disadvantages are hidden through his
multiple superior facilities:
- In respect to the classical switched mode
power supplies, this topolog
o take line-conditioning tasks, operation
with lagging or logging current phasor being
possible;
- The circuit is a high efficiency rectifier,
because th
stage are reduced and the DC-to-DC stage is
possible to be designed with the help of more
sophisticated circuits, based on soft
commutation;
- The control scheme of the proposed
converter impli
- The line-side reactor will have a less
Fig. 9. The current shaping in the high frequency stages of the converter.
Volume 46, Number 3, 2005 147
inductivity as in the case of a PWM AC-to-DC
ted SMPS is acting similarly to a
WM

some
ne-conditioning strategies that can be
necessary to systematize
6. References
1. Redl
Line-Har CIM'96, Power
converter, due to the unipolar modulation
strategy.
From the point of view of the AC mains,
the investiga
P AC-to-DC converter, the phasor
diagram from Figure 2 remains valid. As a
result, unified line-conditioning strategy could
be applied.

5. Conclusions and outlook

The paper investigates
li
applied with the help of the PWM DC
converters. It is discussed how, without
special efforts, the well-known PWM
AC-to-DC converters are able to take over
simple, active or complex line-conditioning
tasks too. With the purpose to offer
line-conditioning features to the
switched-mode power supplies, is introduced
and in detail investigated a new electronic
circuit topology. The analyze proves that in
the both cases similarly control strategies are
necessary to control the output DC-voltage
level associated with the control of the
line-conditioning processes. Therefore, the
use of these converters to supply the most
conventional electric and electronic
equipments, from computers and media
systems to the low and medium power
drive-systems could have favorable results
concerning the quality of the electric energy in
the public network. As a result, in some cases,
it could be avoided the necessity to implement
the high power and, in generally, very
expensive, power conditioning converters.
Simultaneously, the built-in apparent-power
of the DC-converters will be more
satisfactorily used.
The studied problem is further on
development. It is
the principles of the complex
line-conditioning. In the domain of the
experimental research, the investigation of the
new switched-mode power supply topology
seems very interesting. In the same time, the
researches concerning the real-time analysis at
the common point of coupling, PCC, and the
reference signal generation are very important
to be started.


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The authors:

Richar
in
degree, (1989), Alexander von Humboldt
scholarship in Germany, (1991-1992, 1996, 1999),
is with the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca,
www.utcluj.ro, Department of Electrical
Engineering, (1980), professor, (1998), 6 books,
40 scientific papers in Romania, 24 abroad,
(Germany, France, Canada, Australia, China,
Hungary, Czech Republic), 3 Romanian national
patents, 12 R&D projects in the domain of
electrical drives, power electronics and electronics,
coordinator of candidates for a doctors degree.

Ciprian Salomir, (1977), graduated in
electromechanical engineering, (2001), candidate
for a doctors degree at the Technical University of
Cluj-Napoca, Romania, www.utcluj.ro, (2002), 1
book, 1 scientific paper in Romania, 2 R&D
annual projects, (2000, 2001), special interests on
the field of switched-mode power supplies, E.M.C
compliant power electronics and AC-to-DC
converters with line-conditioning capabilities.

Mircea Bojan, (1977), graduated in
electrical engineering, (2000), masters degree in
electrical engineering, (2001), candidate for a
doctors degree at the Technical University of
Cluj-Napoca, Romania, (2001), www.utcluj.ro,
university assistant, (2004), 1 book, 3 scientific
papers in Romania, 3 R&D annual projects, (2000,
2001, 2004), special interests on the field of
electronics, E.M.C compliant power electronics
and AC - to - DC converters with line-conditioning
capabilities.

Richard MARSCHALKO
Ciprian SALOMIR
Mircea BOJAN
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Department of Electrical Engineering
RO - 400020 Cluj-Napoca, 15.C.Daicoviciu St.,
Romania
Tel.: 0040-264-401831, Fax.: 0040-264-192055
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]