Consumer arrangement and operating method

Abstract

In a consumer arrangement (2) with a power supply (4) with power supply input (6), with a consumer (10) which is supplied with an output power (A) by the power supply (4), wherein the power supply (4) contains a PFC module (12) with a DC link (14), wherein the PFC module (12) contains a regulator (16) for supplying the DC link (14), a characteristic parameter (K) correlated with the output power (A) required by the consumer (10) is fed back into the regulator (16).

In a method for operating a consumer arrangement (2) with a power supply (4), with a consumer (10) which is supplied with an output power (A) by the power supply (4), wherein the power supply (4) contains a PFC module (12), wherein the PFC module (12) contains a regulator (16), a characteristic parameter correlated with the output power (A) required by the consumer (10) is fed back into the regulator (16).

Claims

1. A consumer arrangement (2), comprising a power supply (4) with a mains supply input (6), configured to be connected to an electricity supply (8) supplying an alternating voltage, and a consumer (10), which is connected to the power supply (4) and supplied with an output power (A) by the power supply (4), wherein the power supply (4) contains a PFC module (12) connected to the mains supply input (6) with a DC link (14), which is fed from the mains supply input (6) and which provides the output power (A), wherein the PFC module (12) contains a regulator (16) for supplying the DC link (14) with the output power (A) from the mains supply input (6), and wherein a characteristic parameter (K) correlated with the output power (A) required by the consumer (10) is fed back to the regulator (16).

2. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the characteristic parameter (K) correlates with an expected future demand of the consumer (10) for output power (A) after a prediction time (TP) has elapsed.

3. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the consumer (10) has an input signal (E), and the demand of the consumer (10) for output power (A) is correlated with the input signal (E), wherein the characteristic parameter (K) is determined on the basis of the input signal (E).

4. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the input signal (E) is an input signal (E) of which at least some sections are known in advance before being fed to the consumer (10) and the characteristic parameter (K) is determined in advance from the previously known input signal (E).

5. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the input signal (E) is a signal which is fed to the consumer arrangement (2) externally.

6. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the consumer arrangement (2) is an amplifier arrangement, and the input signal (E) is a signal to be amplified.

7. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the characteristic parameter (K) is a characteristic parameter (K) which is correlated with an expected output signal (S) of the input signal (E) that is processed in the consumer (10).

8. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that in a signal path (18) for the input signal (E) the consumer (10) contains a digital signal processor (20) with an internal transit time (L), and the future demand for output power (A) is determined from the input signal (E) which is at least not yet delayed by the full transit time (L).

9. The consumer arrangement (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the regulator (16) has a reference input (22a ) and an actual input (22b ), wherein an actual value correlated with the current actual voltage (UI) in the DC link (14) is supplied to the actual input (22b ) and a reference value correlated with a reference voltage (US) in the DC link (14) is supplied to the reference input (22a ), wherein the reference value is determined on the basis of the characteristic parameter.

10. A method for operating a consumer arrangement (2), having a power supply (4) with a mains supply input (6), which can be connected to an electricity supply (8) supplying an alternating voltage, and having a consumer (10), which is connected to the power supply (4) and supplied with an output power (A) by the power supply (4), wherein the power supply (4) contains a PFC module (12) connected to the mains supply input (6) with a DC link (14), which is fed from the mains supply input (6) and which provides the output power (A), and wherein the PFC module (12) contains a regulator (16) for supplying the DC link (14) with the output power (A) from the mains supply input (6), the method comprising feeding back to the the regulator (16) a characteristic parameter (K) correlated with the output power (A) required by the consumer (10).

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the characteristic parameter (K) correlates with an expected future demand of the consumer (10) for output power (A) after a prediction time (TP) has elapsed.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the consumer (10) has an input signal (E), and the demand of the consumer (10) for output power (A) is correlated with the input signal (E), wherein the characteristic parameter (K) is determined on the basis of the input signal (E).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the input signal (E) is an input signal (E) of which at least some sections are known in advance before being fed to the consumer (10) and the characteristic parameter (K) is determined in advance from the previously known input signal (E).

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the input signal (E) is a signal which is fed to the consumer arrangement (2) externally.

15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the consumer arrangement (2) is an amplifier arrangement, and the input signal (E) is a signal to be amplified.

16. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the characteristic parameter (K) is a characteristic parameter (K) which is correlated with an expected output signal (S) of the input signal (E) that is processed in the consumer (10).

17. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that in a signal path (18) for the input signal (E) the consumer (10) contains a digital signal processor (20) with an internal transit time (L), and the future demand for output power (A) is determined from the input signal (E) which is at least not yet delayed by the full transit time (L).

18. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the regulator (16) has a reference input (22a ) and an actual input (22b ), wherein an actual value correlated with the current actual voltage (UI) in the DC link (14) is supplied to the actual input (22b ) and a reference value correlated with a reference voltage (US) in the DC link (14) is supplied to the reference input (22a ), wherein the reference value is determined on the basis of the characteristic parameter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Other features, effects and advantages of the invention are derived from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention and from the accompanying figures. Shown is, in a schematic diagram:

[0035] FIG. 1 a consumer arrangement according to the invention,

[0036] FIGS. 2a and 2b timing diagrams for parameters occurring in the consumer arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a consumer arrangement 2 with a power supply 4. The power supply 4 has a power supply input 6, which is connected to a mains supply network 8. The mains supply 8 supplies alternating voltage, which is indicated by a wavy line. The consumer arrangement 2 also contains a consumer 10, which in the regular operation of the power supply 4 is supplied with an output power A (indicated symbolically). The power supply 4 contains a PFC module 12, which is connected to a mains power input 6 and contains a DC link 14. The DC link 14 is supplied with power or energy from the mains input 6 and provides the output power A. The PFC module 12 also contains a regulator 16, which feeds the DC link 14 with the output power A from the mains input 6 or regulates this supply of power. A characteristic parameter K correlated with the output power A required in the consumer 10 is fed back to the regulator 16.

[0038] FIG. 2a shows a timing diagram, in which the time t is shown as a time line. A time t0 is marked.

[0039] For the simplest case, in FIG. 1 the output power A0 (currently) consumed by the consumer 10, which is actually required by the consumer 10 at time t0, is depicted. The characteristic parameter K is determined in this case from the current output power A0 at time t0 and is fed back to the regulator 16 at the same time t0 (delay times due to processing/signal cable, etc. are neglected here).

[0040] FIG. 1 also shows an alternative case: here it is already known at time t0 that the consumer will require an output power A1 at a later time t1. Consequently, a prediction time TP of 100 ms is obtained between t0 and t1 in the example. In this alternative case the characteristic parameter K (at time t0) is correlated with the expected future output power A1 and is fed to the regulator 16 at time t0. The corresponding timing conditions are shown alternatively in FIG. 2a. The regulator can now correct or pre-adjust its regulation behavior in advance, i.e. predictively with a lead time equal to the prediction time TP, so that at time t1 the provision of the output power A1 is ensured and the PFC nevertheless continues to work optimally. This presupposes that at the current time t0, in each case the amount of power A1 that the consumer 10 will need at a future time t1which is a prediction time TP after the current time t0is known. In this case, the characteristic parameter K (used at time t0) is thus correlated with an expected demand of the consumer 10 for output power A1 in future (at time t1), after the expiry of a prediction time TP.

[0041] In the example, the correlation of the output power A with the characteristic parameter K is accomplished as follows: The consumer 10 has an input signal E, or is fed with such a signal. The consumer 10 is an amplifier arrangement, in this case an audio amplifier arrangement. The input signal E is an audio signal. The input signal E is a signal applied externally to the consumer 10, that is, from outside of the consumer arrangement 2, and in the example originates from a CD player. The consumer's 10 demand for output power A is correlated with the input signal E. The characteristic parameter K is then determined based on the input signal E. In the example, the input signal E is an input signal E which is completely known in advance a long time (hours) before time t0, namely an audio signal whose recording has been completed and which in this case is stored on an audio CD. From the audio signal and the characteristics of the amplifier, the power demand A is known for all playback times of the audio signal. In this context the characteristic parameter K at any time t0 is therefore already determined (a long time, for example, hours or minutes) before the actual times t0 at which the output power A is required in the consumer 10.

[0042] In the consumer 10, the input signal E is processed and output again as output signal S, which here is used to control or to operate speakers, not shown. The output signal S is thus the processed input signal E. To generate the instantaneous output signal S at time t0 or t1, the output powers A0 or A1, etc. are required. The characteristic parameter K in this case is thus correlated with the expected output power A of the processed input signal E.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a signal path 18, shown by an arrow, for the input signal E in the consumer 10. In this signal path 18 the consumer 10 includes a digital signal processor (DSP) 20. This has an internal transit time L, which the input signal E needs to travel from its input to its output. In other words, in the DSP 20 the input signal E is delayed by the transit time L. The future demand for power output A, which is correlated with the input signal E, is derived from the input signal E after a processing time V has already elapsed in the DSP 20, but where this time is not equal to the full transit time L. Therefore, the prediction time TP remaining is given by the transit time L minus the processing time V: The characteristic parameter K correlated with the output power A1 at time t1=t0+TP is thus known at time t0. FIG. 2b shows the corresponding timing conditions on the timeline of the time t. At the first time point the input signal E is fed into the DSP 20. At the later time t0, the characteristic parameter K is determined from the input signal E or else this is produced. At time t1 the processed input signal E exits the DSP 20 and the output power A1 is required in the consumer 10 at time t1.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment (in FIG. 1 only indicated symbolically), the regulator 16 has a reference input 22a and an actual input 22b. A value correlated with the current actual voltage UI in the DC link 14 is fed to the actual input 22b. A value correlated with a reference voltage US is fed to the reference input 22a. The value of the reference voltage US is determined by means of the characteristic parameter K. (Indicated in FIG. 1 by an arrow).

[0045] In a method for operating the consumer arrangement 2 therefore, the procedure is as follows:

[0046] The mains input 6 is connected to the mains supply 8. The consumer 10 is connected to the power supply 4 and is supplied with the output power A from the power supply 4. The DC link 14 is fed from the mains input 6 and also provides the output power A. A characteristic parameter K is determined, which is correlated with the required output power A. The characteristic parameter K is fed back to the regulator 16. The different types of correlation of the output power A and characteristic parameter K have been explained above.