Power factor control in high voltage power supplies for microwave power amplifiers

EnWave is developing custom microwave power sources for their vacuum pressure dehydration microwave drying products. The custom microwave power sources are based on arrays of 1.2 kW magnetrons. The microwave power sources require high voltage power supplies in the range of 4 kV with supporting control circuits to adjust the output voltage. Each 1.2 kW magnetron has an independent power supply and a typical system consists of a bank of high voltage supplies. Important design issues include controlling the relative phase of the current and voltage waveforms at the input of the supply and ensuring reverse current flow into the grid is minimized. These design issues relate to power factor and harmonic control circuits in the power supply. The primary project objective is to analyze, design and implement power factor control circuits for the high voltage supplies. The project work will directly support the design of new microwave drying systems currently being developed at EnWave.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Thomas Johnson

Student:

Nima Moazen Chaharsoughi

Partner:

EnWave Corporation

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of British Columbia