Patented Technology
Active technology enables a new approach to power electronics by replacing traditional passive components with controlled, intelligent systems. By combining reduced inductors, capacitors, and power electronics with real-time control, Nordic Passive delivers solutions that significantly improve power density, efficiency, and system performance.
Unlike conventional systems constrained by material limits, active technology allows electrical behavior to be dynamically controlled, enabling optimized performance across a wide range of applications including motor drives, grid systems, and advanced power conversion.
Nordic Passive has a new technology with proven radical performance improvement of cost, size, power loss/-density and lifetime used for renewable energy and e-mobility applications.
Our capacitor and inductor technology is based on the combination of a standard electronic circuit and a smart software control algorithm, which enables capacitance and inductance adjustment in a 1-20 times range, 50% cut of cost, size, or 2x lifetime compared to existing technologies mainly dependent on dielectric materials without the control function.
Active Technology Platform
Redefining Passive Components
Modern power electronic systems rely on passive components—inductors and capacitors—to control current, stabilize voltage, and ensure system reliability. These components are fundamentally limited by the physical properties of magnetic and dielectric materials, resulting in solutions that are often:
large and heavy
material intensive
constrained in performance adaptability
Active technology introduces a new paradigm by decoupling electrical function from physical energy storage, enabling the same system behavior to be achieved through controlled power electronics.
From Passive to Active Systems
Traditional approach
In conventional systems:
inductors suppress current ripple
capacitors stabilize voltage
Each component operates independently and must be physically sized to handle worst-case conditions. This leads to over-dimensioning and inefficiencies.
Active approach
Active technology replaces this with a coordinated system that:
measures electrical conditions continuously
processes only the required energy dynamically
injects compensating signals
to achieve the desired system response.
Electrical behavior (impedance, capacitance) becomes a controlled function, not a fixed physical property
Minimal Energy Processing
A defining characteristic of active technology is that it does not process full system power.
Instead, it focuses on:
ripple components
harmonic content
transient energy
This results in:
high efficiency
reduced semiconductor stress
minimized energy storage requirements
System-Level Impact
By moving from passive to active technology, power electronic systems benefit from:
Reduced physical footprint
smaller inductors
reduced capacitance
lower material usage
Improved performance
better harmonic suppression
reduced voltage ripple
enhanced stability
Increased reliability
lower thermal stress
extended component lifetime
reduced dependency on critical passive components
Greater design flexibility
adaptable system behavior
scalable across applications
integration into existing architectures
Core Principle of Active Technology
At its foundation, active technology replaces passive energy storage with controlled, dynamic behavior.
Instead of relying exclusively on physical components to absorb or store energy, the system combines:
reduced passive elements (inductors and capacitors)
power electronic conversion
real-time control
This allows the system to actively shape electrical behavior, rather than passively respond to it.
Unified Architecture Across Technologies
The same underlying principle applies across all three domains:
Active Magnetics (Inductance Control)
Controls current dynamics
Suppresses ripple and harmonics
Synthesizes inductance through controlled current injection
Active Capacitance (Voltage Control)
Stabilizes DC-link voltage
Reduces low-frequency ripple
Manages energy flow dynamically
Hybrid Systems (Integrated Control)
Combines current and voltage control
Coordinates system response in real time
Optimizes entire DC-link behavior
Dynamic and Adaptive Behavior
Unlike passive components with fixed characteristics, active systems introduce adaptive functionality.
The system can:
respond to load changes
compensate for disturbances
optimize performance in real time
This enables consistent performance across:
varying operating conditions
transient events
non-ideal environments
Engineering Perspective
Active technology represents a fundamental shift:
from material-driven design
to control-driven design
Where traditional systems are constrained by physics, active systems leverage control to:
extend performance beyond material limits
optimize energy usage dynamically
enable new levels of integration
Summary
Active technology transforms passive components into controlled system elements by combining:
reduced physical components
power electronics
real-time control
This approach allows power electronic systems to achieve:
equivalent or improved electrical performance
significantly reduced size and material usage
adaptive, intelligent behavior
The Concept of an Active Capacitor
A two-terminal active capacitor implemented by power semiconductor contacts and passive elements. It has the same level of comfort as a passive with only two power terminals.
It is application independent and can be specified by rated voltage, ripple current, equivalent series resistance and operational frequency range.
The concept, control method, self-effect scheme and impedance characteristics of the active capacitor are presented. A case study of the proposed active capacitor for a capacitive DC-link application is discussed.
The results reveal a significantly lower total energy storage of passive elements and a reduced cost to meet a specific reliability target compared to a passive capacitor solution.
No matter if it’s an AC or DC application. This technology platform covers your imaginations and can be customised to every solution against your requirements.
Want to know more about our technology?
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