Operational Reliability Improvement of Power Converter by Improving the Inrush Current Limiter

Abstract

This paper describes the performance improvement of an inrush current limiter to prevent damage or malfunctions in power converters due to the inrush current. When the power converter of military radar is operated, the circuit breaker of the power converter is often activated because the overcurrent flows through the circuit breaker of the power converter. Therefore, this study performed a cause analysis of the problem, which is a larger current flow than the intended current(250A). The operation principle of an inrush current limiter and SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier) used in the inrush current limiter was analyzed. As a result, the overcurrent flow through the circuit breaker was found to be due to dv/dt triggering of SCR. Based on cause analysis, this paper proposes a technique by adding the resistor in front of the SCR to prevent an unnecessary inrush current. Finally, the effectiveness of the improvement was verified by measuring the output current in the inrush current limiter. The power converter equipped with the improved inrush current limiter operated for more than 1 year without the circuit breaker of the power converter being activated.