Method and arrangement for harmonic-wave suppression for AC voltage-operated PTC heaters

• US 7,884,503 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JENOPTIK Advanced Systems GmbH (Jenoptik AG)
• Original Assignee: ESW GmbH (Jenoptik AG)
• Inventors: Engelhardt, Joerg, Seidler, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US12/047,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20080309168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 307/105, 363/39, 219/504
• US Class Current: 307/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0019 Circuit arrangements

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for harmonic-wave suppression in AC voltage-operated PTC heaters, especially in frequency-stable and frequency-variable alternating-voltage networks in aerospace applications. The problem of harmonic-wave suppression for AC voltage-operated PTC heaters, in which the harmonic waves are suppressed by superimposing a correction current, which permits a simple and economical generation of the harmonic-wave suppression signal, is solved according to the invention by generating a correction current in a correction current circuit arranged parallel to the PTC heater using an ohmic resistor (4). The correction current is generated and additively superimposed exclusively for suppressing the third harmonic of the heating current of the PTC heater.

Claims

1. A method for harmonic-wave suppression in AC voltage-operated PTC heaters, in which the harmonic waves are compensated by superimposing with a generated current inverted relative to a harmonic wave component, comprising

generating a correction current by means of an ohmic resistor in a correction current circuit arranged in parallel to said PTC heater included in a load current circuit,

wherein said correction current is modulated for suppressing a third harmonic of a heating current current of said PTC heater and superimposed additively;

wherein an instantaneous value of a voltage of said load current circuit is used for modulating the correction current in a correction current circuit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instantaneous value of the voltage in the load current circuit is determined in a parallel branch to the PTC heater by means of a plurality of voltage dividers and comparators so that said correction current is modulated by means of a current regulator in the correction current circuit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said correction current for suppressing the third harmonic of the heating current is determined from the instantaneous values of voltage and current of the load current circuit in a parallel branch to the PTC heater and is modulated by means of a current regulator in the correction current circuit, and wherein the current values are measured by means of a current sensor arranged after the correction current circuit in the load current circuit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the correction current for complete compensation of the harmonic waves of the heating current is determined from the instantaneous value of the voltage and an analysis of actual harmonic-wave components of the load current circuit in a parallel branch to the PTC heater, and is modulated by means of a current regulator in the correction current circuit, and wherein the harmonic wave components are determined by programmable, active signal processing components arranged after the correction current circuit in the load current circuit.

5. An arrangement for harmonic-wave suppression in AC voltage-operated PTC heaters, in which a PTC heater is arranged in a load current circuit of an alternating-voltage source, comprising

a correction current circuit arranged parallel to the PTC heater having an ohmic resistor for generating a controllable correction current, and

a current modulator adjusted by means of a resistor for generating controllable correction current, such that a third harmonic of a heating current of the PTC heater is suppressed.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said modulator comprises a modulation unit for controlling said correction current by means of said resistor, said modulation unit being arranged in a parallel branch to the PTC heater and to the correction current circuit, in which the third harmonic of the heating current of the PTC heater can be generated based on a voltage measurement in the load current circuit, and a current regulator for controlling the correction current which is controlled by means of the resistor in the correction current circuit.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said modulation unit has a plurality of staggered voltage dividers and a plurality of comparators coupled to said dividers, in order to generate the third harmonic of the heating current from the voltage in the load current circuit.

8. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein a modulation unit is arranged in a parallel branch to the PTC heater and to the correction current circuit for controlling the correction current by means of the resistor in the correction current circuit, wherein the third harmonic of the heating current can be generated based on a continuous determination of instantaneous values of voltage and current in the load current circuit, and wherein a current sensor for measuring the current is arranged after the correction current circuit in the load current circuit.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said modulation unit has a plurality of staggered voltage dividers and a plurality of comparators coupled to said dividers for measuring voltage, and a separate current sensor, arranged after the correction current circuit in the load current circuit, in order to more precisely compensate the third harmonic of the heating current in the load current circuit through tracking by means of a current regulator in the correction current circuit.

10. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said modulation unit has additional active signal-processing components for analyzing actual harmonic-wave components of the heating current, which are arranged after the correction current circuit in the load current circuit, in order to completely compensate for all of the harmonic wave components of the heating current through regulation by means of a current regulator in the correction current circuit.