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Power controllers are electronic devices with which power, current or voltage can be variably adjusted. Typical applications are generally found where electrical power needs to be varied but is ultimately converted to thermal energy as heating. Power controllers are used in a wide range of industries and applications, such as photovoltaics, industrial furnace construction, printing, textiles, semiconductors, glass, packaging, wood, surface treatment, paper and many more.
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Compact, maximum functionality with simple operation and setup;
1 to 125 A from 100 to 500 V
Simple integration and commissioning at an attractive price;
16 to 50 A from 100 V to 500 V
Power controllers are electrical devices that are used for the variable setting of parameters such as voltage. The variable range is between 0 and 100 percent. Power controllers are also referred to as “thyristor controllers”.
In general, they are used wherever, for example, electrical power is precisely adjusted and usually converted into thermal energy. Examples include plastics processing or industrial furnace construction. Power controllers are often used whenever the power consumption of an electrical consumer needs to be precisely controlled.
The technical process used in the control system is based on reducing the so-called “effective value” of the AC voltage provided by the power grid. The sinusoidal curve of the mains voltage is influenced by power controllers so that the load is only ever “switched on” after the zero crossing at a certain part of the oscillation. This would be the case, for example, with phase angle control, a control method for power controllers (see below).
Partial “switching on” reduces the current and power consumption of the load. Power controllers can be operated in three-phase or single-phase mode. They are controlled by one or more regulators. These vary the so-called switch-on time of the voltage from the mains for the connected load. The different control types are described below. Depending on the operating conditions on site, certain controlled systems may be required. For example, for current limitation or for controlled systems with fast response behavior. Power controllers can be set precisely as required by the process in operation or in industry.
In addition to the ability to precisely set the current regulation or current limitation, power controllers also offer functions for monitoring fuse failure, wire breakage or load voltage failure and for protecting electronic components. Heating elements in particular are often operated in parallel. Partial load failure monitoring is used here, which signals the failure of a heating element. When the system comes to a standstill, the affected heating element can be replaced. The limitation of temperature-sensitive heating elements can also be defined, for example via a temperature-dependent resistance. The power controller acts as a kind of temperature limiter for the heating element and thus protects the heater from an excessively high operating temperature. The heating element has a maximum permissible temperature, which is limited by the power output from the power controller.
This example shows the great advantage of power controllers in industry and private use. Power controllers can also be used as electronic components for limiting and controlling DC voltages. However, these differ from those used to control AC voltage, as additional electronic components (e.g. a capacitor) are used in the process when operating with DC voltage. These power controllers are also referred to as “DC controllers”.
In contrast to a classic rectifier or inverter, this type of component does not rectify the current. The following control types of power controllers further define the diverse possibilities of these electronic assemblies.
The most important control types such as amplitude control, pulse packet control (pulse group operation) or phase control are explained here.
Amplitude control is a method of controlling an electronic component by controlling the amplitude in alternating current technology. The amplitude of the sinusoidal current from the power grid is changed.
The process is similar to pulse width modulation, but in the classic case, rectangular pulses are used. The amplitude of the amplitude control only depends on the power drawn, so that the shape of the oscillation is not changed.
Current and voltage are in phase, which means that only the so-called “active power” is drawn during amplitude control. This significantly reduces the current consumption on the mains side compared to the current consumption with the phase angle control method. The advantage of this is that the continuous current flow leads to gentler operation, for example of the heating elements used, and therefore to a longer service life.
This control method is used, for example, to reduce the surface load limits of heating elements. Amplitude control can also be used to reduce the known effect of “flicker” (fluctuations in the power grid with the sometimes visual perception of flickering, for example in lamps) and harmonics in power controllers. The specifications for this are described in the EN 61000-3-2 and EN 61000-3-3 standards.
Pulse packet control, also known as “pulse group operation”, is a subtype of pulse width modulation. As with pulse width modulation, pulse packet control avoids a longer on and off phase by selectively switching the individual full waves from the mains. As a result, each individual half-wave is cut.
This type of control is used to regulate the power of electrical appliances. Practical applications include instantaneous water heaters or electric heaters.
In contrast to phase angle control, pulse packet control switches the signal at the zero crossings. As a result, this method avoids harmonics as far as possible.
Phase angle control, or simply “phase angle control”, is also used to control power controllers for electrical appliances and loads. The prerequisite is that these are operated with an alternating voltage.
Examples of loads that can be operated with phase control are torque controllers for AC motors and dimmers. In this method, the current flow is controlled with an anti-parallel circuit of two thyristors. These have the task of switching the AC voltage. The load is switched between the zero crossings.
In the industrial environment, power controllers are used to regulate and control curing ovens and electric heating systems, among other things. Depending on the type and model of the power controller, other areas of application include dimmers, power controls for vacuum cleaners or for drills and washing machines with infinitely variable speed control.
Power controllers are also used wherever electrical power needs to be controlled, even if it is converted into thermal energy. Currently, the most important sector for a power controller is photovoltaics and industrial furnace construction. However, they are also used successfully in the glass industry, the packaging industry, in wood and surface treatment, in paper production and also in semiconductors and in the printing and textile sectors.