An active ripple filtering technique for improving common-mode inductor performance

Active ripple filtering is the replacement of large passive components in power filter circuits with smaller passive components and active control circuitry. This letter focuses on common-mode filters, where a large common-mode inductor (choke) is replaced by two smaller chokes and active op-amp control. The technique is appropriate when improved attenuation is required at relatively low frequencies and the high-frequency filtering requirements are easily met. Smaller chokes save significantly in material and winding costs. The technique is more advantageous if wire-wound chokes can be replaced by planar printed circuit board chokes. The use of the technique in an automotive electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter application is explored in detail.