Power Electronic Tips

Contactors switch high-voltage DC from lithium batteries

Redding Traiger — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:17:43 +0000

TDK Corporation presents HVC27 (B88269X*), its new generation of high-voltage contactors that can safely and reliably switch off continuous DC currents of 300 A to 500 A and operating DC voltages of up to 1000 V in lithium-ion batteries in 20 ms or less, depending on the type. This is made possible by the gas-filled ceramic arc chamber which is also used in the other HVC types from TDK. Completely new is the optional Hall-effect sensor for the auxiliary contact. It is used to detect the switching state of the main contacts. The bidirectional design allows only one HVC27 to charge and discharge batteries as well as to power motor drive systems and do regenerative braking (recuperation).

There are three mechanical versions of the UL-certified HVC27 series: an upright version (C1) with dimensions of 95 x 44 x 90 mm (L x W x H) and a horizontal version (C5) with 90 x 90 x 46 mm, as well as a third version as a replacement type (NIL) for the HVC25 (HVC200, 300 and 500). The high current contactors are available with single or double coil, with working voltages of 12 V or 24 V. The single-coil version requires 6 W in continuous operation, and the dual-coil version is only 4 W. The service life for resistive opening (450 V/300 A) is specified with 1500 operations for the single-coil version and 2000 operations for the dual-coil version. At 750 V/300 A, these values are 150 and 1000 opening cycles, respectively.

High-voltage contactors with high continuous current carrying capacity are used, for example, in electric vehicles for fast disconnection of the lithium-ion battery as well as in DC charging stations and in stationary battery storage systems such as storage for photovoltaic or UPS systems.

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High-voltage contactors feature light weight, compact size

Redding Traiger — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 17:59:21 +0000

TE Connectivity released an additional configuration of its KILOVAC CAP120R contactor. TE’s KILOVAC CAP120R contactor is ideal for defense, marine, UAM (urban air mobility), UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) commercial, and military aerospace applications requiring lightweight latching coils and reduced power consumption. The CAP120R contactor now features a high-voltage latching configuration. The 150-amp DC contactor also includes a single pole, and hermetically sealed auxiliary contacts with a latching actuator mechanism, allowing for low-power consumption uses.

The efficient design makes TE’s KILOVAC CAP120R contactor a reliable solution for power distribution, energy storage, and battery systems and satisfies the demand for reliability in harsh environments for long-lasting systems due to the contactor’s lightweight design, which can withstand high break levels —1,000 A at 400 VDC and 600 A at 600 VDC. The contactor also allows versatile installation through bidirectional load switching, and the main contacts are not polarity sensitive.

TE’s KILOVAC CAP120R contactor is designed to withstand harsh environments, offering: Temperature range: -40°C to +85°C; Voltage Maximum: 600 Vdc; Mechanical life (Min): 100,000 cycles; Weight (Nominal): 0.14 kg;

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Smart contactors host CAN bus interface

Redding Traiger — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 00:24:53 +0000

Sensata Technologies announced the availability of the new GXC and MXC series of Smart-Tactor contactors with CAN bus communication which provides valuable data for improved system performance, reliability, and diagnostics in the military, battery systems, energy storage, commercial vehicle, and industrial applications.

Built on the industry-proven GX and MX series from Sensata’s GIGAVAC product brand, this new series of smart contactors are easily integrated and simplify data acquisition, making them ideal for data logging, telematics, and predictive maintenance.

From fleet managers who need to monitor operations to engineers who are looking for more data or are working on prototype vehicles, one-off demo projects, or in R&D labs, the GXC and MXC series of CAN-based contactors are suitable for any system where real-time data is critical for analysis, safety, and reliability.

In comparison, power management solutions without CAN-enabled contractors require multiple sensors as well as a separate data logger to capture and record all the information. With the addition of CAN communication, the contactor becomes part of the CAN backbone and allows all other CAN nodes to see the data and act upon it, helping to connect everything on the vehicle or system.

With the available database (.dbc) download file, system integrators can be up and running in minutes. Fleet managers, OEM’s and integrators can now tap into the CAN bus to easily monitor current, terminal voltage, control voltage, temperature, state, and cycle count to make more informed decisions. The data can be analyzed for trends, fed to a telematics system, or used for system diagnostics, monitoring, and predictive maintenance. With these smart contactors, potential problems can be easily detected and resolved before a failure occurs, improving vehicle and application up-time.

The GXC and MXC contactors feature the following: Ability to program overcurrent trip points with timer delays for each trip point; Configurable baud rate of 250k or 500k; Rugged ceramic seal rated to 175°C, increasing performance during over-current conditions; Hermetically sealed and designed to meet: UL1604 for Class I & II, Div 2 and Class III for use in hazardous locations, IP67 for temporary water immersion for 30 min, IP69K for pressure washing, SAE J1171 – external ignition protection, and ISO8846 for protection against ignition around flammable gasses;

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