AC regulated power supplies are widely used and come in many types, which can be roughly divided into the following 5 categories.
① Ferroresonance AC voltage regulator: an AC voltage regulator device made by combining a saturated choke coil with a corresponding capacitor to have constant voltage volt ampere characteristics. Magnetic saturation is an early typical structure of this voltage regulator. It has a simple structure, easy manufacturing, a wide range of allowable input voltage changes, reliable operation, and strong overload capacity. But the waveform distortion is significant and the stability is not high. The voltage stabilizing transformer developed in recent years is also a power supply device that utilizes the nonlinearity of electromagnetic components to achieve voltage stabilization function. The difference between it and a magnetic saturation regulator lies in the form of the magnetic circuit structure, while the basic working principle is the same. It achieves dual functions of voltage stabilization and transformation on a single iron core, making it superior to ordinary power transformers and magnetic saturation regulators.
② Magnetic amplifier type AC voltage regulator: a device that connects a magnetic amplifier and an autotransformer in series, and uses electronic circuits to change the impedance of the magnetic amplifier to stabilize the output voltage. Its circuit form can be linear amplification or pulse width modulation, etc. This type of voltage regulator has a closed-loop system with feedback control, so it has high stability and good output waveform. However, due to the use of a magnetic amplifier with high inertia, the recovery time is longer. Due to the use of self coupling, the anti-interference ability is poor.
③ Sliding AC voltage regulator: a device that uses a servo motor to drive an automatic voltage regulating AC voltage regulator by changing the sliding contact position of a transformer to achieve stable output voltage. This type of voltage regulator has high efficiency, good output voltage waveform, and no special requirements for load properties. But the stability is low and the recovery time is long.
④ Inductive AC voltage regulator: a device that stabilizes the output AC voltage by changing the phase difference between the secondary voltage of the transformer and the primary voltage. It is structurally similar to a wire wound asynchronous motor, and its principle is similar to an induction regulator. Its voltage regulation range is wide, the output voltage waveform is good, and the power can reach hundreds of kilowatts. However, due to the rotor often being in a locked rotor state, the power consumption is high and the efficiency is low. Due to the high usage of copper and iron materials, there is less production.
⑤ Thyristor AC voltage regulator: an AC voltage regulator that uses thyristors as power adjustment components. It has the advantages of high stability, fast response, and no noise. But due to damage to the waveform of the city's radio waves, it causes interference to communication equipment and electronic devices.
