Active PFC and passive PFC

There are two technologies have been developed: active PFC and passive PFC for improving the load availability of input energy AC  220V.

Both reactive and active power correspond to real energy. In other words, ATX power supplies, whether or not they use PFC technology, have nothing to do with how much power the ATX power supplies can save. Because the real source of energy is the loss of the circuit itself (such as heat loss) and load consumption. Some of the power billboards that boast of PFC's power savings are sheer gimmicks.

The use of active PFC not only does not save power, but also increases the loss of the overall circuit of the ATX power supply as the active PFC circuit element increases, which is actually more expensive (the user needs to pay more electricity). However, the use of active PFC to pay additional electricity costs to the power grid has an important significance, it can effectively ensure that the power grid provided by the AC 220V does not reduce the quality of the power supply due to this ATX access. In a word, no matter what kind of PFC, is adopted, it cannot save power, but PFC can improve the process of energy conversion, make it more effective, and eliminate the negative impact of ATX power supply on the power grid itself. 

The power factors 

The ratio of active power to apparent power is the power factor.

When a passive PFC is designed, the power factor of the ATX power supply is 0.70-0.80. When an active PFC is designed, the power factor of the ATX power supply can typically reach or exceed 0.98.

This article is from Allicdata Electronics Limited.