Released: 7/12/2009

Welcome to our electronic version of Point of Contact

Our first paperless newsletter reflects the demand of the times we live in - a time when we should not be wasting precious resources. Appropriately the first topic deals with solar power products that Westek Electronics is now promoting. Alternative energy generation is of paramount importance and Westek Electronics is working hard with its principal, Wűrth Solar, to provide comprehensive solar energy solutions. At the same time, Westek Electronics is putting on muscle and continuing to expand strongly in areas including components for the electronics industry, clean power and harmonics mitigation. The Westek Electronics team has been serving the market since 1996 and looks forward to being of continued service to you.

Subodh Bhatia,
Managing Director

The Wűrth GeneCIS solar cell modules make use of the highly efficient CuInSe2 (CIS) technology and incorporate the semiconductor material in a very adaptable commercially attractive range of solar panels. The GeneCIS panels are specified under standard test conditions (STC) of a solar spectrum irradiance of 1000 watts per square metre under air mass conditions of 1.5 (note: at the horizon the figure is 1 and at zenith, 2 and indicates the atmospheric attenuation of celestial radiation). GeneCIS solar cell modules can be connected in series to achieve maximum DC voltages of 1000 volts.
 
The practical construction consists of clear glass sandwiches enclosing the CIS semiconductor material with the assembly set in an aluminium frame. Panels with nominal power outputs of 70 watt, 75 watt and 80 watt are available. Normal operating cell temperature (NOCT) parameters such as voltage at maximum power are specified at 47C.
 
The advantages of the Wűrth GeneCIS solar cells can be briefly summarised. They are highly suited to Australian summer conditions by virtue of their excellent temperature coefficients. Utilising long, narrow continuous cells, the solar cells have a much larger tolerance of partially shaded situations. In contrast to polycrystalline cells, Wűrth GeneCIS solar cells provide better operation on cloudy days when light is diffused. As cells are connected monolithically during the production process in series, wiring is avoided and long term reliability enormously improved.
 
Westek Electronics is able to offer complete photovoltaic systems including inverters, voltage regulation and controllers for four-quadrant systems catering for applications where feedback tariffs are offered.
 

The powerful Sorensen SG Series DC modular power supplies
 
Sorensen SG Series power supply systems provide wide voltage and power output ratings for a wide range of applications including process control, automotive component testing and ATE systems. Output voltages range from 0-40 Volt DC to 0-600 Volt DC. Utilising paralleling it is possible to have outputs as high as 150 kW.
 
Sorensen DC power supply systems are available as intelligent and front panel controlled analogue units. However both the SGI (intelligent) and SGA (analogue controlled) systems are controllable via RS232 and Ethernet T10 (systems are compliant with LXI Class C for web server operation). LXI stands for LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation, and is the current and future standard for much industrial T&M. It's seen the fastest ramp-up of any communications standard in the history of the test industry and products from Sorensen and other leading test and measurement companies.
 
The SGI provides for sequencing, constant power mode and save/recall of instrument settings as well as looping of test sequences such as engine start-up voltage profiles and other sequences including ramped pulse, variable voltage slew and various ripple profiles. For example, the 16-bit resolution Ethernet programming and hardware triggering capability allows for highly sensitive sequencing as required by accurate battery performance modelling.

The Sorensen SG series is available in 3U and 6U chassis. Up to five 6U or 3U chassis can be combined in parallel. A 3U chassis can deliver up to 15 kW; a 6U chassis, 30 kW; and by paralleling up to five 6U, fully loaded chassis a total rating of 150 kW can be achieved. The Sorensen SG systems are characterized by very low rms noise and peak-to-peak noise excursions. Typically rms noise is less than 20 mV and peak-to-peak noise less than 75 mV.

MTE Corporation Passive Harmonic Mitigation Filters and Chokes
Anything but passive solutions

Variable speed drives can cause severe harmonics distortion. Six-pulse converter drives supplied by low impedance sources typically generate a Total Harmonic Current Distortion (THID) of 140%. For some applications 12-pulse and even 18-pulse converter drives are used. Theoretically these latter drives have a much reduced THID (for a 12-pulse drive, between 10 and 12% THID; for an 18-pulse drive at full load, 7.5% typically). However both the 12-pulse and 18-pulse converters provide elevated THID when operating under lighter loading.
 
MTE harmonics mitigation products provide effective solutions. In many practical situations employing the frequently installed 6-pulse drives, MTE AC reactors are a highly cost-effective solution, installed to the input phases. In combination with MTE DC chokes in the DC link of converters, Total Harmonic Current Distortion (THID) can be reduced to less than 30%--and equally importantly at a cost equal to a few percent of the cost of a drive unit.
 
MTE Matrix Harmonic Filters provide the best performance in harmonics reduction. Matrix harmonic filters are low pass filters that attenuate the 5th, 7th and higher harmonics without the possibility of importing harmonics from branch circuits, or the risk of resonance. MTE Matrix Harmonic Filters provide in practical terms, a superior performance to 12-pulse and 18-pulse converter drives—and in particular over a large loading range.

MTE RLW Three-Phase AC line reactors

The MTE World reactor (RLW) is optimized to support global IEC Drive /motor applications employing state-of-the-art magnetic design. Selection is based on the choice of inductance correlated to the application motor full load amps, voltage and frequency and the number of phases. The RLW like RL reactors may also be sized to protect single phase drives.
 
Because all standard MTE reactors are compensated for harmonics (current and frequency), they are extremely effective at reducing the amount of harmonics, which are produced by a drive/inverter. The use of 5% impedance harmonic compensated reactors is recommended for single stage reduction of harmonic distortion. Voltage ratings range from 240/415 V to 690 V and for kilowatt ratings to 500 kW and in impedances from 2% to 5%.

Percent Harmonics vs. Total Line Impedance
Total Input Impedance
Harmonic

Harmonic Order	3% Impedance	4% Impedance	5% Impedance
5th	40	34	32
7th	16	13	12
11th	7.3	6.3	5.8
13th	4.9	4.2	3.9
17th	3	2.4	2.2
19th	2.2	2	0.8
%THID	44.13	37.31	34.96

Three-phase RFI, low earth leakage filter series for loads to 450 kW and load currents to 600 Amp

The Schaffner FN 3280 three-phase, four-wire EMC filters are suitable for conducted common mode and differential mode RFI attenuation to 30 MHz and higher and have very low leakage currents below 1 mA. The topology of the filters comprise two sets of common core inductors in the three phase and neutral conductors (one set at the line, and one set at the load end) providing very high asymmetrical RFI insertion loss, Cx capacitors in star-circuit configuration at the line end, intermediate Cx capacitors with leakage resistors in star configuration (for excellent symmetrical noise suppression) and a Cy/Ry capacitor to the protective earth line. The Schaffner FN 3280 filters provide the necessary attenuation requirements for a large range of industrial applications including CNC installations with as many as 12 driven axes and long cable runs extending to 20 metres. The Schaffner filters are rated for line voltages to 520 volts (phase voltages to 300 volts) and current ratings to 600 amps at 50C ambient temperature.

 
Single-phase RFI low leakage filter series for loads to 5 kW
 
The Schaffner FN 2450 shares the same topology as the three-phase filter mentioned above and also provides effective RFI filtering and very low leakage current performance. The construction of the filter series is based on a metal base and plastic housing thus providing a low weight but highly effective component. The FN 2450 series is suitable for applications including test and measurement devices, medical equipment, industrial automation equipment, IT and office automation apparatus. Operating voltage is 250 volts for line frequencies to 400 Hz and line currents to 20 amps.

Prodigit Programmable DC Electronic Loads

The new Prodigit 33XXF Series of programmable DC electronic loads is suitable for laboratory, R & D and ATE systems. Each Prodigit DC electronic load can operate in constant current, constant voltage, and constant power mode, is equipped with accurate read back voltage, current and watt meters, and is provided with a standard RS232 interface. Optional interfaces available include GPIB, USB and LAN cards, thus making the Prodigit 33XXF Series very flexible in application. Manually setting values is achieved by means of a rotary control and push button to set testing parameters. Large LCD displays facilitate manual setting procedures.
 
The Prodigit 33XXF series is modular, comprising of mainframes capable of housing one, two or four load modules, which can be individually selected from a range including 60V-30A-150 W; 60V-60A-300W; 250V-12A-300W; 500V-12A-300W and 60V-15A-75W options. Load modules have the ability to store and recall 150 testing protocols including ON/OFF voltage, GO/NO GO meter checks, etc. Individual load modules can be synched to permit multi-DUT testing requirements.
 
An important feature of the Prodigit 33XXF Series is the slew rate capability of individual load modules. For example, the 3310F-150 watt module has current slew rates variable from 2.0 to 1250 milliamp/second. In addition arbitrary waveforms can be used for programming load sinking profiles with dynamic testing time’s variable between 50 microseconds to 9.999 seconds.

Harmonics and flicker pre-compliance testing made easy

Voltech has released new software for pre-compliance testing for harmonics, inter-harmonics and flicker. The pre-compliance requirements of EN61000-3-2 (harmonics), and EN61000-3-3 (flicker) as well as harmonics and inter-harmonics (EN61000-4-7) are met by the new software which utilizes data obtained by the proprietary software incorporated in Voltech’s PM1000+ power analyzer. Data is exported from the Voltech PM1000+ to a PC utilizing the new Windows-based software package.
 
The strong advantage of the Voltech pre-compliance software is that it can reduce costly laboratory time involved in full compliance testing. It is also very fast and convenient in terms of testing protocol as an AC source and impedance network are not necessary.
 
The Voltech PM1000+ Precision Power and Energy Analyser is suitable for standby power, energy and inrush current measurement. Voltage and current can be measured to 600V rms and 20 Amp rms with crest factors to 20, respectively. Power, apparent power and reactive power can be measured to 90 kW/VA as well as power factor from –1.000 through 0 to +1.000, in the frequency range from DC and from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. Energy can be measured in watt-hours and VA-hours utilising integration windows from 1 to 300 seconds. Harmonics are analysed to the 50th order for both current and voltage, as are THD for voltage and current.
 
A Voltech Ballast Current Transformer is available to permit accurate energy usage data for fluorescent lighting having current and voltage phase errors of less than 1º and 3º respectively. For power line analysis the instrument can be equipped with clamp-on and voltage transducers. The Voltech PM1000+ is provided with USB, IEEE and RS232 ports and is thus suitable for use in production environments.

AC Load banks from Avtron

Avtron AC single-phase and three-phase load banks with dissipation capacities to 6 Megawatts are available from Westek Electronics. The Avtron load banks, in addition to resistive loads, are also available as lagging reactive loads to 1575 kVAr. In addition, Avtron combined resistive-reactive loads can be supplied and resistive loads can also be paralleled with reactive loads.
 
The Avtron AC loads are applicable to a variety of load tests including turbines and diesel engines, UPS and battery testing as well as for field use in periodic testing of stand-by engine generator sets and to reduce under-loading diesel engines, which are prone to poor power performance due to unburned fuel coating the combustion chambers under light loading.
 
Most Avtron resistive load banks employ chromium alloy, corrosion resistant Helidyne elements that are supported along their entire length by stainless steel posts with segmented ceramic insulators. Elements operate at low temperature due to careful design and effective fan-forced cooling (some models are available for radiator or duct mounting on diesel engines).
 
Avtron permanently-installed load banks use enclosures constructed from aluminized steel and as such provide excellent heat protection and corrosion resistance, particularly when compared to commonly used galvanized steel. The Helidyne elements are mounted in enclosures with screened, louvered air intakes and exhausts. Permanently installed units use gasketed, heated enclosures to prevent dust and condensation from affecting the reliability of the load banks.
 
A digital monitoring system is available providing operating parameters including voltage, current, frequency and power. The monitoring system is provided with an optical IrDA port and IrDA-USB adapter for downloading to a PDA or computer.
 
In addition to permanently installed load banks, Avtron also supplies portable load banks, including hand-carried load banks. For example, the Avtron LPH-60, weighing 32 kg, can dissipate 60 kW. Avtron load banks can be remotely or locally controlled in step-wise fashion and in increments depending on the size of load bank selected. The LPH-60, 60 kW load bank has switching increments of 5 kW.
 
Avtron also manufactures DC versions such as the Avtron Model K571, designed for indoor operation and suitable for testing DC generating systems, converters, transformer-rectifier units, battery systems and controls. The K571 is equipped with two fixed and two lockable swivel casters which allow the unit to be moved easily from one test site to another.
 
Electrical connections are simplified by the easy access terminals located behind the access door on the front of the unit. A safety interlock switch disables load application if the access door is opened for operator safety. This load bank is completely self-contained with a fan included for cooling the load resistor elements. Typical designs include 900 or 1000 amps, 52 volt DC load, or 1000 amp 28 volt DC load.

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