What is PD IEC/TS 62578 - Power electronics systems and equipment about?
PD IEC/TS 62578 discusses the active infeed converter (AIC) application for power electronics systems and equipment. In comparison with a diode-based rectifier, an Active Infeed Converter refers to an AC to DC converter based on IGBT switches.
PD IEC/TS 62578 describes the operating conditions and typical characteristics of active infeed converters (AIC) of all technologies and topologies which can be connected between the electrical power supply network (lines) a.c. side and a constant current or voltage type d.c. side and which can convert electrical power (active and reactive) in both directions (generative or regenerative).
Note: The following is excluded from the scope:
- Requirements for the design, development or further functionality of active infeed applications
- Probability of interactions or influences of the AIC with other equipment caused by parasitic elements in an installation or caused by poor electronic design as well as their mitigations
- "Overhead line" power supply networks because of lack of information (measurements) of their three-phase impedances. This could be the subject for future editions.
Who is PD IEC/TS 62578 - Power electronics systems and equipment for?
PD IEC/TS 62578 on power electronics systems and equipment is useful for:
- Manufacturer of electronic systems and products
- Quality testing of electronic systems
- Electrical engineer
Why should you use PD IEC/TS 62578 - Power electronics systems and equipment?
Active infeed converter is a self-commutated electronic power converter of all technologies, topologies, voltages and sizes which are connected between to the a.c. power supply network (lines) and usually a stiff d.c. side (current source or voltage source) and which can convert electric power in both directions (generative or regenerative) and which can control the reactive power or the power factor. PD IEC/TS 62578 provides guidance for an active infeed application which are mainly available with capacitive (VSC) or inductive (CSC) smoothing on the d.c. side. Some converter concepts use no or nearly no d.c.-side smoothing. The majority of installed units utilize capacitive smoothing. Depending on the rated power and the power supply network availability the connection to the power supply network may be single-phase or three-phase. The three-phase version is selected for the examples.
PD IEC/TS 62578 provides operating principles in which the main operating principle is to switch the d.c.-side potentials or the d.c.-side currents to the a.c. side conductors with a pulse frequency of normally between 300 Hz and 20 kHz. In this way, the desired voltages or currents on the a.c. the side are realised as mean values. The pulse frequency is normally high compared to the line frequency and allows quick and accurate control of the voltages and currents on the a.c. side.
What’s changed since the last update?
PD IEC/TS 62578:2015 supersedes DD IEC/TS 62578:2009, which is withdrawn. PD IEC/TS 62578:2015 includes some technical changes with respect to DD IEC/TS 62578:2009. These include:
- IEC TS 62578, in its revised version includes observed values out of practical applications for emission values below 150 kHz
- Therefore, the document has been extended compared to the first edition, several detailed analysis results are given in the extended Annexes
- Design recommendations have been derived from the international working group by an assessment of the power supply impedances between 2 kHz and 9 kHz, a comprehensive analysis of the withstand capability of power capacitors against harmonic currents injected by AIC, immunity tests of equipment and considerations about shifted resonances in the power supply network with an increased population of undamped filter capacitors.

