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General Comparison: AC vs 3

Features Power Distribution AC Very poor, the mains loading is very asymmetrical.

Power Factor

Generally poor and always worse than either MFDC or three phase DC. (in the range of 0.4 to 0.6)

Current Rise Times

Very good.

Power Consumption

Very high.

Controllability

Average due to control algorithms having at least a 8.33 mS lag, resulting in retrospective current and voltage correction.

Weld Quality

Average

Transformer Costs

Low, but from a practical point of view limited to around 50,000 Amps

Costs

Low, but from a practical point of view limited to around 50,000 Amps

Maintenance Cost

Low.

neral Comparison: AC vs 3 Phase DC vs MFDC vs VFInverter.


3 Phase DC Good, but load is marginally asymmetrical due to inevitable differences to 'AC' transformer secondary circuits upto the diodes, Typically the asymmetry can be up to 10 or even 15%. Each AC current path can be different unless the transformers are built with a coaxial secondary circuit up to the diodes (this is almost never the case), hence the power factor is usually different for each phase and hence this contributes to the asymmetry of the system as a whole. (in the range of 0.7 to 0.8)

Very Poor.

Low, but not as good as MF DC because of relatively poor current rise time and slightly asymmetrical load.

Good.

Good, but due to reduced controllability and slight asymmetrical loading does not give the 'best' quality, Neither does it give the lowest running costs.

Very expensive and costly to repair

In applications of up to 150 kVA the costs of inverters are comparable to three phase systems. In systems of over 250 kVA inverter control systems, are expensive but can frequently less expensive when you consider the cost of the transformer as well. I you need greater than 120,000 Amps, inverters are the only real choice

Very High three transformers & secondary rectifying diodes.

vs MFDC vs VFInverter.
MFDC Very good symmetrical load. VF Inverter Very good symmetrical load.

Very good power factor due to very short AC current path to the diodes and large bank of capacitors built into every inverter. (better than 0.95)

Very good power factor due to very short AC current path to the diodes and large bank of capacitors built into every inverter. (better than 0.95)

Good in primary constant current systems where the control system 'forcibly drags' the current to its target value. Secondary constant current is inherently slower because of control system delays introduced by step response issues as a result of the transient inductance of the DC part of the secondary circuit.

Very good for seam welding application.

Very low and generally improved by the 10% to 15% reduction is fact that weld times can be reduced as a possible as compared to DC result of the improved response time of welding. these systems, the reduction can be of the order of 10% to 15%

Very good, control algorithms on Excellent the secondary Inverters operate in real time and every current is kept constant 500 microseconds, No Control lag. continuously & monitored at every 200 micro seconds.

Good, very precise control with Very Good, due to secondary maximum power efficiency and reduced constant current feature & running costs. lower peak currents.

Very cost effective, but more expensive Low Standard welding than AC transformers transformer used. For higher currents transformers are paralled together. Small systems under 1000 amp primary are roughly double the price of equivalent AC systems, but energy cost savings recover addition cost in a very short time. If very high currents are required, inverters are nearly always the best choice. Low, as compares to DC & MFDC welding controls, as this inverter uses the standard welding transformer.

High. Due to secondary diodes of welding transformer. (requires closed monitoring of the diode temperature)

Low. Standard welding transformer is used.

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