They Exist
This Link at Newark displays "Power Factor Correction Chokes", which I did not know existed. I have a linear motor which I suspect really needs power factor correction. Please tell me what a PFC correction choke is, how it works, and more importantly, how I can tell which one to specify for my application.
Poor Explanations On-Line
The following links (What is a pfc?) and (Why are PFC chokes needed?) from Wurth were early hopefuls in trying to answer this question, but they were very disappointing, as their english was not very good, and their verbage not terribly elucidating. Why do the job half-way? You just make your company look bad, and I otherwise respect Wurth. Anyway...
Our Motor
Our linear motor directly connects to the line, at either 110v or 220v, I believe. I am really a software developer teaching myself power electronics, so I have some knowledge, but big gaps, I suspect. I entered pursuing this field through my love of a hobbyist circuit, a self-oscillating boost converter called the Joule Thief, so I am familiar with boost converters, which I recently found out here (EEsx why boost PFC topology is the most used?) are often the topology of a PFC correction circuit.
The motor is performing an actuation, and suspending a small weight, but then applies up to 15 kilograms of force, so varies in its power consumption from about 10 Watts to about 500 Watts. The current power factor seems to be about 30%, and gets much worse as greater force is applied. Some customers use our device constantly, and other customers use our device somewhat infrequently, so perhaps PFC could be an option?
Related to the Common Mode Choke?
Finally, In telling me what a PFC choke is, please tell me if and how it relates to the common-mode choke (which I believe has a different purpose). Thanks again.
Thanks
If buying one of these PFC chokes will improve efficiency for our customers, and deliver power to our motor more efficiently, I want to know. Thanks.
Edit #1
Though I may have indicated that this device needs help, it is actually in production, and working fairly well at customer locations. In some testing of the device I uncovered an obscure mode where the motor gets full power and then over temps -- but that's only with an administrative console and creatively power-cycling the controller+motor.
I really just want the questions in the Title answered.
In response to a question, "Must you replace the existing supply or improve it?" Improve, I think... Here is some more information that might help:
The linear motor controller is a Parker IPA15-HC, a SINGLE-AXIS SERVO DRIVE/CONTROLLER : 6.3A / 1*100-240VAC (2.5KVA) Links: 1. Brochure 2. Quick Ref Guide 3. HW install'n Guide
We wrote the firmware for the controller (in AcroBasic, a firmware Domain-Specific-Language specific to motor control). But the resource who wrote it may not be available, and I have only been at the company for 6 weeks.
Here is a first guess at the actual connections in the device, though the motor in the picture is rotary, and ours is linear -- this is a Basic connection diagram pulled from Hardware Installation Guide of IPA15-HC Servomotor Controller at URL 8: