EP2854480B1 - Mikrowellenofen mit schwankungsgesteuerter Heizleistung - Google Patents

Mikrowellenofen mit schwankungsgesteuerter Heizleistung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2854480B1
EP2854480B1 EP14001470.5A EP14001470A EP2854480B1 EP 2854480 B1 EP2854480 B1 EP 2854480B1 EP 14001470 A EP14001470 A EP 14001470A EP 2854480 B1 EP2854480 B1 EP 2854480B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
current
fluctuations
heating
microwave oven
high voltage
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP14001470.5A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP2854480A1 (de
Inventor
Alfred Betschart
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
V-Zug AG
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V-Zug AG
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Priority to EP14001470.5A priority Critical patent/EP2854480B1/de
Priority to PL14001470.5T priority patent/PL2854480T3/pl
Priority to DK14001470.5T priority patent/DK2854480T3/en
Priority to SI201430065A priority patent/SI2854480T1/sl
Publication of EP2854480A1 publication Critical patent/EP2854480A1/de
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Publication of EP2854480B1 publication Critical patent/EP2854480B1/de
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64—Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/66—Circuits
    • H05B6/68—Circuits for monitoring or control
    • H05B6/681—Circuits comprising an inverter, a boost transformer and a magnetron
    • H05B6/682—Circuits comprising an inverter, a boost transformer and a magnetron wherein the switching control is based on measurements of electrical values of the circuit
    • H05B6/683—Circuits comprising an inverter, a boost transformer and a magnetron wherein the switching control is based on measurements of electrical values of the circuit the measurements being made at the high voltage side of the circuit
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B2206/00—Aspects relating to heating by electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic fields covered by group H05B6/00
    • H05B2206/04—Heating using microwaves
    • H05B2206/043—Methods or circuits intended to extend the life of the magnetron

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a microwave oven with a magnetron comprising an anode, a cathode and a cathode heater and with a drive circuit for the magnetron.
  • the invention also relates to a method for operating such a microwave oven.
  • a microwave oven has a transformer with two secondary windings.
  • the one secondary winding is used to drive the cathode heater of the magnetron, while the other secondary winding is used to generate the high voltage between the cathode and anode. In such devices, separate control of the anode current and the heating current is not possible.
  • the lifetime of a magnetron is directly dependent on the temperature of the filament of the cathode heater.
  • the service life is extended if the heating power during operation is as low as possible.
  • the cathode temperature must be so high that there are enough free electrons for the generation of the microwaves.
  • WO 98/11591 therefore proposes to choose the heating current of the magnetron depending on its dynamic impedance or its noise level.
  • the drive circuit of the magnetron in a conventional manner has a high voltage generator for generating the high voltage between the anode and the cathode, and a Schustromgenerator for generating the heating current for the cathode heater.
  • a controller is provided which controls these components.
  • a measuring circuit which is designed to determine fluctuations in a parameter dependent on the anode current of the magnetron, and the controller is designed to control the Heating current generator depending on these fluctuations to control such that the heating current is increased with increasing fluctuations.
  • the invention is based on the finding that fluctuations in the anode current are an early indicator that the cathode is too cold.
  • the characteristics required make it possible to take this circumstance into account.
  • the heating power can thus be increased until the fluctuations decline.
  • the cathode can always be heated with the power just required for stable operation. This prolongs the life of the magnetron.
  • the heating current is increased automatically and as needed. Tolerances of the device and in particular the parameters of the magnetron are automatically compensated, as well as fluctuations in the mains voltage.
  • the invention also makes it possible to operate the magnetron in most cases at lower heat output than in a conventional operation, so that the efficiency of the device is increased.
  • a power regulator which is designed so that the power absorbed by the cathode heater power can be controlled to a desired value.
  • the control is designed in this case to specify the desired value for the heating power depending on the fluctuations.
  • the high voltage generator has an inverter and a high voltage transformer.
  • the inverter feeds current pulses into the primary winding of the high voltage transformer.
  • the secondary winding of the high-voltage transformer generates the voltage between the anode and the cathode of the magnetron via a rectifier.
  • the mentioned measuring circuit is designed to measure fluctuations in the current pulses through the primary winding. The heights of the current pulses as well as their slew rates are directly related to the anode current and, since they can be easily measured on the primary side, form a very suitable measurement parameter for the purpose described here.
  • the measuring circuit is preferably designed to measure rising rates of the current pulses and to determine fluctuations in the rising rates. This is based on the finding that for a practical operation, the current pulses compared to inductance of the high voltage transformer are so short that the current does not reach its maximum value, but that the rate of increase of the current at the beginning of the pulse is a measure of this maximum value and thus also for the anode current is.
  • high voltage is understood to mean a voltage which is required as anode-cathode voltage for operation of the magnetron. In practice, this voltage is in most cases at least 1 kV, usually several kilovolts.
  • a push-pull output stage is a series connection of two electronic components, which can be alternately switched continuously, so that at the center tap of the two components, a time-varying voltage.
  • a half-bridge circuit is a circuit with exactly one push-pull final stage.
  • a full-bridge circuit (H-circuit, H-bridge) is a circuit with two push-pull output stages connected in parallel, with the load between the center taps of the two push-pull final stages.
  • the invention relates to a microwave oven, as exemplified in Fig. 1 is shown.
  • the microwave oven has a cooking chamber 1 for receiving the food to be heated, which can be closed to the user by a user door 2.
  • a magnetron 3 is also arranged, which is connected via a Holleiter 4 with the cooking chamber 1 in combination.
  • a controller 5 controls the function of the device.
  • Fig. 2 shows the most important components of the controller 5 in the present context.
  • the mains voltage of e.g. 230 volts at 50 Hz is rectified in a rectifier 10.
  • the first intermediate voltage Uz thus produced is then slightly filtered via a first capacitor C1, the capacitor C1, however, being dimensioned so that, under load, the value of the first intermediate voltage Uz varies by at least 50% with twice the mains frequency.
  • the intermediate voltage Uz is also tapped via a diode D1 and further filtered via a second capacitor C2 to form a second intermediate voltage Uz '.
  • the first intermediate voltage Uz is supplied to a high voltage generator 11, with which, as described below, the high voltage for driving the magnetron 3 is generated.
  • the second intermediate voltage Uz ' is supplied to a heating current generator 12, with which, as described below, the heating current for the cathode heating of the magnetron 3 is generated.
  • control unit 13 for example in the form of a microprocessor.
  • An analog-to-digital converter of the control unit 13 is supplied via a voltage divider R5, R6 a proportional to the intermediate voltage Uz value so that it can determine the intermediate voltage Uz.
  • the high voltage generator 11 comprises a full bridge circuit with four electronic switching elements T3 - T6, in particular in the form of IGBT transistors, each with a freewheeling diode.
  • the switching elements T3 - T6 are arranged in a known manner in two branches T3 and T4 or T5 and T6, wherein the switching elements of each branch are respectively arranged in series between the first intermediate voltage Uz and ground. Between the switching elements of each branch, a center tap is provided in each case, wherein the two center taps are connected to the two terminals of the primary winding of a high-voltage transformer 14.
  • the switching elements T3 - T6 form an inverter, which feeds an alternating voltage into the primary winding of the high-voltage transformer.
  • the high voltage transformer 14 has a secondary winding with a much higher number of turns than the primary winding for generating the high voltage.
  • the high voltage is rectified via two diodes D2 and D3, doubled and filtered by means of two capacitors C3 and C4.
  • the high voltage Uh thus generated is applied between the cathode K and the anode A of the magnetron 3.
  • a drive circuit 16 For driving the switching elements T3 - T6, a drive circuit 16 is provided, which is controlled by the control unit 13.
  • the drive circuit 16 generates the control voltages (gate or base voltages) UG3 - UG6 for the switching elements T3 - T6.
  • the control unit 13 is designed to switch the two branches of the full bridge circuit T3 - T6 alternately. The control is done so that during a switching cycle, the primary winding of high voltage transformer 14 is not permanently between the first intermediate voltage Uz and ground, but that the primary winding is decoupled during a time to be selected by the control unit 13 from the intermediate voltage Uz, ie the circuit is with Pulse width modulation clocked so that the value of the high voltage Uh can be controlled.
  • this can be divided by a voltage divider R10 - R13 and R14 and fed to an optocoupler 17 whose output signal is forwarded to the control unit 13. For example, a lack or non-ignition of the magnetron can be detected in this way.
  • a resistor R20 is provided between the two branches T3, T4 or T5, T6 and a fixed reference potential, in particular ground.
  • the initial increase in the voltage drop Ur across this resistor at the beginning of a current pulse is a measure of the anode current of the magnetron 3 and is supplied to the control unit 13 via an amplifier 18 for measurement purposes. This will be described in detail below.
  • the Walkerstromgenerator 12 is formed in the present embodiment of a half-bridge with two operated as push-pull final stage switching elements T1 and T2.
  • the switching elements T1 and T2 which in turn are e.g. can be configured as IGBT transistors and which are each equipped with a freewheeling diode, are arranged in series between the second intermediate voltage Uz 'and ground.
  • the center tap between the two switching elements T1, T2 is connected to one terminal of the primary winding of a heating transformer 15.
  • the second connection of the primary winding of the heating transformer 15 is connected to the center tap of a capacitive voltage divider of two capacitors C5 and C6.
  • the two capacitors C5 and C6 are connected in series between the second intermediate voltage Uz 'and ground.
  • the diode D1 prevents current from being discharged from the capacitors C5, C6 when the high voltage generator 11 connected to the intermediate voltage Uz draws current.
  • the secondary winding of the heating transformer 15 is connected to the cathode heater, i. connected to the filament, the magnetron 3 and supplies them with electricity.
  • a drive circuit 20 For driving the switching elements T1 and T2, a drive circuit 20 is provided, which is controlled by the control unit 13.
  • the drive circuit 20 generates the control voltages (gate or base voltages) UG1, UG2 for the switching elements T1 and T2. The type of control will be described in detail below.
  • a resistor R21 is arranged, through which the current from the push-pull output stage T1, T2 through the heating transformer to ground (or. the reference potential).
  • the voltage drop across this resistor is a measure of the current flowing from the second intermediate voltage Uz 'through the primary coil of the high voltage transformer 15 to ground (or reference potential). It is tapped by an amplifier 21 and fed to an analog-to-digital converter of the control unit 13.
  • Fig. 3 describes how the control unit 13 controls the switching elements of the heating current generator 12.
  • the figure shows the course of the voltages UG1 and UG2, which are applied to the control inputs of the switching elements T1 and T2, as well as the course of the voltage Uih, which drops across the resistor R21.
  • the control unit 13 is designed to switch the two switching elements T1 and T2 cyclically alternately.
  • a typical cycle period Tz is advantageously in the range of 10 - 50 ⁇ s.
  • heating phases H1 and H2 The periods in which one of the switching elements T1 or T2 is turned on are referred to below as heating phases H1 and H2, respectively, and are shown in FIG Fig. 3 drawn, wherein in the heating phase H1, the first switching element T1 and H2 in the heating phase, the second switching element T2 is turned on. Between the heating phases H1 and H2 or H2 and H1 both switching elements T1, T2 are turned off.
  • the phases in which both switching elements T1 and T2 are turned off are referred to as resting phases R1 and R2 and are in Fig. 3 also marked.
  • the heating phases have a duration th, the rest periods a duration tr.
  • the time th can be selected identically for both switching elements T1 and T2 in a simple embodiment, as well tr.
  • an alternating current is generated in the primary winding of the heating transformer 15, which is supplied (except for losses in the components, in particular in the heating transformer 15) as heating power of the cathode heater of the magnetron 3.
  • the average magnitude of the heating power is a function of the duty cycle, i. of the quotient th / Tz.
  • the voltage drop Uih forms a parameter that depends on the resistance of the cathode heater of the magnetron 3. Assuming that no losses in the Heating transformer 15 occur, Uih is opposite to the end of the heating pulse inversely proportional to the resistance of the cathode heater.
  • resistor R21 together with amplifier 21 form a measuring circuit which is designed to determine a parameter dependent on the resistance of the cathode heating.
  • Fig. 3 is a time tm plotted, to which the controller 13 measures the voltage drop Uih.
  • This time tm is preferably just before the end tx of the respective heating phase H1 or H2, for example at most 1 ⁇ s before the end tx of the heating phase.
  • a measurement takes place in each heating phase.
  • the product P is at least approximately proportional to the power supplied to the cathode heater.
  • the value of the intermediate voltage Uz ' approximately the value of the intermediate voltage Uz can be used, as it is determined by the control unit via the voltage divider R5, R6.
  • Uz ' corresponds to the value of Uz except for the voltage drop across D1.
  • Uz ' is sometimes somewhat larger than Uz, the difference remains small if the components are dimensioned appropriately. If Uz 'is to be determined exactly, in addition or as an alternative to R5, R6, a second voltage divider may be provided, which supplies the second intermediate voltage Uz' to the measurement of the control unit 13.
  • P is averaged over a filter time which is at least half a clock period of the mains voltage, ie at least 10 ms.
  • An adaptation of the pulse width th occurs only after the filter time has expired.
  • the control unit 13 forms a power regulator, with which the power absorbed by the cathode heater power can be controlled to a desired value.
  • Fig. 4 describes how the control unit 13 controls the switching elements T3 - T6 of the high voltage generator 11.
  • the figure shows the course of the voltages UG3 - UG6, which are applied to the control inputs of the switching elements T3 - T6, and the course of the current Ip in the primary winding of the high voltage transformer and the voltage Ur, which drops across the resistor R20.
  • the control unit 13 is configured to cyclically operate the four switching elements T3-T6.
  • a typical cycle period tc is advantageously in the range of 10 - 50 ⁇ s.
  • phases A and C are preferably the same length, i. the corresponding time periods tA and tC are identical.
  • phases B and D are preferably the same length, i. the corresponding time periods tB and tD are identical.
  • the phases A and C are, however, usually shorter or at most the same length as the phases B and D.
  • the controller 13 When the user activates the microwave oven, ie has given the command to supply energy to the food in the oven, the controller 13 first starts a preheating phase. In this preheating phase, the switching elements T3 - T6 all remain switched off, so that no high voltage is applied to the magnetron 3. The preheating phase is then followed by an operating phase in which the switching elements T3-T6 are also put into operation alternately in order to apply the high voltage to the magnetron and to supply the desired microwave radiation produce. The operating phase is described in more detail below.
  • the power of the cathode heater is kept as low as possible in the operating phase, and so deep that just a stable operation of the magnetron 3 is possible.
  • this parameter is the rate of rise of the current pulses through the primary coil of the high voltage transformer 14. For this, the increase of the voltage drop Ur across R20 is measured.
  • Fig. 5 shows the course of the voltage drop Ur in detail.
  • Fig. 5 shows two corresponding measurements ⁇ i and ⁇ i + 1 , where i and i + 1 represent the indices of two successive current pulses.
  • control unit 13 increases the setpoint for the heating power of the cathode heater.
  • Uz i denotes the intermediate voltage Uz at the time of the pulse i.
  • the sum preferably extends over at least half a network period, ie 10 ms. If the value S is above an upper threshold value S1, then the control unit 13 increases the setpoint value for the heating power. If the value S is above a lower, lower threshold value S2, the control unit 13 reduces the setpoint value for the heating power.
  • the non-scaled current slew rates can be filtered at a high pass, and then their statistical variance calculated.
  • the high pass has a cutoff frequency which is higher than twice the line frequency but lower than the switching frequency of the inverter.
  • the voltage drop Ur across R20 is used as a parameter for the fluctuations of the anode current of the magnetron 3.
  • a measuring winding can be integrated in the high-voltage transformer 14, the voltage of which is monitored.
  • the anode current can also be measured directly and transmitted to the control unit 13 via an optocoupler, for example.
  • sequence control of the described method steps can be implemented as hardware and / or software in the control unit 13.
  • a control circuit for a microwave oven has a push-pull output stage T1, T2 for driving a heating transformer 15, with which the cathode heater of the magnetron 3 is operated.
  • a separate high-voltage transformer 14 is provided, which is fed by a bridge circuit T3 - T6.
  • the control unit 13 of the device is designed to determine fluctuations in a parameter dependent on the anode current of the magnetron 3. If these fluctuations are high, the heating power of the cathode heating is increased. In this way, the magnetron 3 can be operated with an optimal, low heating power.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Control Of High-Frequency Heating Circuits (AREA)
EP14001470.5A 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Mikrowellenofen mit schwankungsgesteuerter Heizleistung Active EP2854480B1 (de)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP14001470.5A EP2854480B1 (de) 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Mikrowellenofen mit schwankungsgesteuerter Heizleistung
PL14001470.5T PL2854480T3 (pl) 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Kuchenka mikrofalowa ze sterowaną fluktuacjami mocą grzejną
DK14001470.5T DK2854480T3 (en) 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Microwave with fluctuations controlled heat output
SI201430065A SI2854480T1 (sl) 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Mikrovalovna pečica z nihalno krmiljeno grelno močjo

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP14001470.5A EP2854480B1 (de) 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Mikrowellenofen mit schwankungsgesteuerter Heizleistung

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2854480A1 EP2854480A1 (de) 2015-04-01
EP2854480B1 true EP2854480B1 (de) 2016-06-22

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EP14001470.5A Active EP2854480B1 (de) 2014-04-24 2014-04-24 Mikrowellenofen mit schwankungsgesteuerter Heizleistung

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EP (1) EP2854480B1 (pl)
DK (1) DK2854480T3 (pl)
PL (1) PL2854480T3 (pl)
SI (1) SI2854480T1 (pl)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102022122426A1 (de) 2022-09-05 2024-03-07 Topinox Sarl Verfahren zum Einschalten eines Mikrowellengenerators, Mikrowellengenerator-Baugruppe sowie Gargerät

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2019000108A1 (en) 2017-06-26 2019-01-03 V-Zug Ag MICROWAVE OVEN HAVING EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE SAFETY MECHANISM

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4742442A (en) 1986-06-17 1988-05-03 Nilssen Ole K Controlled magnetron power supply including dual-mode inverter
SE509506C2 (sv) * 1996-09-10 1999-02-01 Ikl Skellefteaa Ab Förfarande och anordning för reglering av glödströmmen hos en magnetron

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102022122426A1 (de) 2022-09-05 2024-03-07 Topinox Sarl Verfahren zum Einschalten eines Mikrowellengenerators, Mikrowellengenerator-Baugruppe sowie Gargerät

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SI2854480T1 (sl) 2016-11-30
EP2854480A1 (de) 2015-04-01
PL2854480T3 (pl) 2016-12-30
DK2854480T3 (en) 2016-09-26

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