Patent ID: 7023716

Claim:
An electrical apparatus for powering a load including a resistive and a capacitive component, said electrical apparatus comprising: a source of pulsating direct voltage: a first plurality of power factor correction units coupled to said source of direct voltage for converting said pulsating direct voltage into a direct voltage at an output port and for tending to maintain the current through said source of pulsating direct voltage in-phase with said pulsating direct voltage; a plurality equal to said first plurality of current sharing controllers, each of which includes a port coupled to said output port of one of said power factor correction units, and also includes an output port in common with all output ports of said current sharing controllers, said current sharing controllers being subject to surge current when said direct voltage of the associated one of said power factor correction units is coupled to said capacitive component of said load at turn-on; and controllable switch means coupled to said source of pulsating direct voltage and to said load, for precharging said capacitive component of said load.