What is the highest current SMPS in the world? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Faringdon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 10:31:46 am
content: Hi.What is the highest current "single stage" SMPS in the world? (ie not a collection of paralleled SMPS's)Or just the highest current one that you know of?I am speaking of single stage, no paralleling.Not speaking of mains rectifiers...speaking of high frequency SMPS...eg switching frequencies of >(a few 100 Hz) or so.Non isolated. (or isolated if you have an example)

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 10:39:06 am
content: Atmosphere. Operates in discontinuous mode, but crazy amperage.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 10:48:12 am
content: Don't you have some actual work to do? Like making power supplies for LEDs or something?

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 11:08:46 am
content: Quote from: Faringdon on February 26, 2024, 10:31:46 amMaybe quark star or black holeWhen quark star cracks in the shell, it releases incredible energy of electric and magnetic field pulses...

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 11:13:46 am
content: It depends on what you class as an SMPS. Voltage-source converters, for example, can reach power levels in the thousand-MVA range.

author: shapirus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 11:57:20 am
content: I guessed the topicstarter by looking at the topic title!This must be the threshold that separates a newbie from an experienced member of the forum.

author: Wolfram
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 12:31:44 pm
content: Not to cater to the madness that is Faringdon getting involved in a new nonsensical project, but the question is somewhat interesting.A former employer had a fair number of 13 kA power supplies with +-10 ppm current reproducibility. This was for powering bending magnets for a pretty large accelerator. You'll probably find currents way beyond that in some fields of industrial electrochemistry. It all depends on how you define SMPS though, whether or not phase angle control counts.The same facility also had 5000 A linear regulators for tuning of ferrite loaded acceleration cavities. Racks full of water cooled copper plates with a seemingly endless array of TO-3 package parts.

author: Faringdon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 02:43:43 pm
content: Thanks, ive certainly worked on 3000A power supplies. Repairing them.It was usually the input caps that had gone, and took the igbts with them.We werent supposed to rev eng them, but i did so that i could fix them quicker.It was a half bridge...3 phase 6 diode input....600v input.Its going back some time, but i think i remember it was 20kHz.The 3000A was only available if the cust set a low enough voltage, so for 3000A it was something like 7V or so max.Most custs didnt set up for the full 3000A.They were 6-in-parallel for 3000A. (250A each).No transistors switched the high current in the sec side. Even the diodes in the sec side were soft switched at turn on and turn off. The topology was half bridge with big leakage inductance.However, i am really seeking examples where the transistors switch the high current, so my example is a poor one to my own dreaded question.IGBTs hard switching high currents, and even at 100's of volts would be interesting to hear of.No worries about EMC...just , how workable is it? No doubt a myriad of noise abatement measures will be taken.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 02:52:49 pm
content: AC/DC tig welder?

author: Faringdon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 04:28:20 pm
content: Thanks, on a related note does any one know where to source a 700uH inductor rated 1500A, and will suffer 120Apkpk ripple?And must withstand voltage across it of some +150V then -150V at 1kHz.Will only be conducting for 100ms every half hour.DC Resistance preferably no more than 5millioms.I assume we are talking an iron cored part here.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 05:43:54 pm
content: You're losing track of which implausible thread you're posting in...https://www.eevblog.com/forum/renewable-energy/pwming-thousands-of-amps/msg5357345/#msg5357345

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 06:17:17 pm
content: Quote from: langwadt on February 26, 2024, 02:52:49 pmEven spot and stud welders don't go that high ("only" 1-2kA I think). Specialty spot/diffusion bonding welding equipment might sometimes push 10kA, I don't know?There aren't many applications that require such currents, and even fewer that need it so tightly controlled, or efficient, as an SMPS provides. Aluminum smelters for example use currents greater than this (10s kA), but it's steady DC supplied from a multiphase rectifier or the like. Welders can also use AC, as can resistive heaters. A typical steelmaking electric arc furnace might run at 400V 40kA (three phase).~GW grid interconnects are in the couple kA range, stacked for up to a MV or so; it's neither efficient nor cost-effective to run higher currents.You can push current as high as you like, paralleling modules, or using transistors in parallel plus enough switching time to ensure full commutation and current sharing, but multiphase is the way to go for compactness, efficiency and scalability.Tim

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 06:28:35 pm
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on February 26, 2024, 06:17:17 pmit was more in response to the "examples where the transistors switch the high current", an AC tig output is fifty to maybe a few hundred HzI'm guessing (maybe wrongly) that they do that by swapping polarity after the main high current supply

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 06:56:04 pm
content: Not sure about commercial designs, haven't looked at any manuals (if they publish service manuals at all..), but that's a common way to do it as an add-on, yeah.And, for my part, just adding on what high-current applications I can think of at all.Tim

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 07:37:29 pm
content: I've always thought that trains would be fun things to work on. Crossing the boundaries between electrical and electronic engineering. You have signalling, train systems (HVAC, lighting, doors and other automation), multi-MW power converters, traction motors, driver controls and automation, and no doubt other things I can't think of.Added to that, trains like the one below make all sorts of interesting noises. I especially like the 50 Hz transformer hum when it switches over to the 25 kV OHLE supply.