AC/DC power source boasts up to 540kVA power

Ametek Programmable Power unveils the California Instruments RS Series of high-power AC/DC power systems. The units offer controlled AC and DC output for a wide variety of ATE and product test applications at an affordable cost. In AC mode, the RS Series delivers anywhere from 90kVA–540kVA of AC power. In DC or AC/DC mode, 50 percent of the AC power level is available simultaneously.

The RS Series offers a combination of high power density and simple installation. The RS Series boasts the highest AC power density available for high-performance test applications. This high power density is achieved by using PWM switching techniques that enable the RS Series to be packaged in a compact, floor-standing chassis with a footprint no larger than a typical refrigerator. Further, this high power density is achieved without the need for elaborate cooling schemes.

The base unit of the RS Series is the RS90. It provides up to 90kVA of AC power or 60kW of DC power. AC output is three phase and can easily be switched between AC and DC mode of output from the front panel.

For higher power requirements up to 540kVA, the RS180, RS270, RS360, RS450 and RS540 models are available. When outfitted with multiple controllers, these units can be made to work as though they were individual RS90 units and used for different applications. This ability to reconfigure the system provides a level of flexibility not commonly found in power systems.

The controller for the RS Series uses the DSP technology and allows users to define a wide variety of output waveforms, including outputs with harmonic distortion and waveforms that simulate AC and DC transients. The controller features control of individual phases separately, allowing users to simulate single phase anomalies and unbalanced harmonic line conditions.

To program these waveforms, a Windows program with a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. Using the GUI, a user specifies the waveform to be output, and the program then generates the waveform data points and downloads them to the unit via remote interface. Each unit can store up to 200 waveforms in nonvolatile memory for easy recall.

The RS Series can source and sink (traditional 4-Quadrant type) current and can reverse the phase relationship between the AC input voltage and current in order to regenerate up to 85 percent of the power back onto the utility grid to reduce the cost of operation. This mode of operation is particularly useful when testing grid-tied products that feed energy back onto the grid, such as when testing grid-tied Photovoltaic Inverters.