Active clamp flyback converter combined with dither voltage generator for poultry stunning applications

This paper presents an intelligent poultry stunner with parameter auto-tuning feature for improving carcass quality and animal welfare. In this stunner system, an active clamp flyback converter is used to increase conversion efficiency, and a dither voltage generator realized with a half-bridge inverter is adopted to fast breakdown the skin impedance of the poultry which can reduce poultry stress and improve carcass quality during stunning interval. To simplify the circuit structure of the proposed stunner, the switches in the active clamp flyback converter and the half-bridge inverter are integrated with the synchronous switch technique. With this approach, it can achieve higher conversion efficiency, less component count, lighter weight and smaller size. Compared with the one without switch integration, the proposed can raise efficiency of 5% under full load condition. Under a fixed frequency of 400 Hz, its output voltage can vary from 60 V to 140 V and its duty ratio is from 0.3 to 0.7. Performance measurements from a prototype have verified the parameter auto-tuning feature and feasibility of the overall system design. The designed system has contributed a lot to improve animal welfare and has attracted much attention.