A power module is a power supply that provides power to electronic devices to enable their operation. To enhance your understanding of power modules, this article will introduce their characteristics and classifications. If you are interested in power modules or the content of this article, please continue reading with us.
I. Features of Power Module
Power modules can be classified into DC power modules, AC power modules, transformer power modules, and frequency converter power modules based on parameters such as output voltage, output current, and output power.
Features of the power module:
1. Simple design. Power can be obtained with just one power module and a few discrete components.
2. Shorten the development cycle. Modular power supplies generally offer multiple input and output options. Users can also repeatedly or cross-add power supplies to create modular power supplies with multiple inputs and outputs, greatly reducing prototype development time.
3. Flexible modification. If the product design needs to be changed, simply replace or connect another suitable power module in parallel.
4. Low technical requirements. Modular power supplies are generally equipped with standardized front-ends, highly integrated power modules, and other components, thus simplifying power supply design.
5. The modular power supply casing features a three-in-one structure integrating the heat sink, radiator, and casing, achieving conductive cooling and minimizing the power supply's temperature. Simultaneously, it provides standardized packaging for the modular power supply.
6. High quality and reliable. Modular power supplies are generally produced using fully automated processes and advanced manufacturing techniques, resulting in stable and reliable quality.
7. Wide range of applications, including switching equipment, access equipment, mobile communications, microwave communications, optical transmission, routers and other communication fields, as well as automotive electronics, aerospace and other fields.
II. Power Module Classification
1. High-efficiency green power supply for computers
The rapid development of computer technology has led humanity into the information society, and has also spurred the rapid development of power supply technology. In the 1980s, computers fully adopted switching power supplies, marking the first time that computer power supplies had been replaced. Subsequently, switching power supply technology entered the fields of electronic and electrical equipment.
The development of computer technology has led to the concepts of green computers and green power supplies. Green computers broadly refer to personal computers and related products that are harmless to the environment, while green power supplies refer to efficient and energy-saving power supplies related to green computers. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Energy Star" program of June 17, 1992, a desktop personal computer or related peripherals that consumes less than 30 watts in sleep mode meets the requirements for a green computer. Improving power supply efficiency is the fundamental way to reduce power consumption. For example, a 200-watt switching power supply with a current efficiency of 75% consumes 50 watts of energy itself.
2. High-frequency switching power supply for communication applications
The rapid development of the telecommunications industry has greatly promoted the development of telecommunications power supplies. High-frequency, miniaturized switching power supplies and their technologies have become the mainstream of modern telecommunications power supply systems. In the telecommunications field, rectifiers are usually referred to as primary power supplies, while DC-DC converters are referred to as secondary power supplies. The function of a primary power supply is to convert a single-phase or three-phase AC power grid into a DC power supply with a nominal value of 48V. Currently, in the primary power supplies used in program-controlled exchanges, traditional phase-controlled voltage regulators have been replaced by high-frequency switching power supplies. High-frequency switching power supplies (also known as switching rectifiers, SMRs) achieve high efficiency and miniaturization through the high-frequency operation of MOSFETs or IGBTs, with the switching frequency generally controlled within the range of 50-100kHz. In recent years, the power capacity of switching rectifiers has been continuously expanding, with single-unit capacity increasing from 48V/12.5A and 48V/20A to 48V/200A and 48V/400A.
Because communication equipment uses a wide variety of integrated circuits with varying power supply voltages, high-power-density, high-frequency DC-DC isolated power supply modules are used in communication power supply systems to convert the intermediate bus voltage (typically 48V DC) into the required DC voltages. This significantly reduces losses, facilitates maintenance, and is very convenient to install and add. These modules can generally be directly mounted on standard control boards, requiring high power density from the secondary power supply. As communication capacity continues to increase, communication power supply capacity will also continue to increase.
3. DC-DC converter
DC/DC converters transform a fixed DC voltage into a variable DC voltage. This technology is widely used in the stepless speed control and regulation of trolleybuses, subway trains, and electric vehicles, enabling these controls to achieve smooth acceleration and rapid response, while also saving energy. Replacing a rheostat with a DC chopper can save 20-30% of energy. A DC chopper not only functions as a voltage regulator (switching power supply) but also effectively suppresses harmonic current noise from the mains power grid.
Secondary power supply DC/DC converters for communication power supplies are commercially available. These modules employ high-frequency PWM technology, with a switching frequency of around 500kHz and a power density of 5W~20W/in³. With the development of large-scale integrated circuits, there is a demand for miniaturization of power supply modules. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously increase the switching frequency and adopt new circuit topologies. Currently, some companies have developed and produced secondary power supply modules using zero-current switching and zero-voltage switching technologies, resulting in a significant increase in power density.
