More power for battery systems of the future: EA-PSB 10000 series 30 kW programmable DC power supply

Sponsored by Elektro-Automatik

Growing demands placed on modern batteries and accumulator systems present manufacturers with major challenges. On one hand, their systems have to provide more performance, service life and safety; on the other hand, end consumers expect products that have an attractive purchase price and energy-efficient operation.

Changing market

The market for batteries and accumulator systems is currently experiencing dynamic growth. A glance at the number of electric cars on the road worldwide shows that the demand for highly efficient batteries is increasing: since 2015, the total number of electric cars delivered has grown from around 1.4 million to almost 7.9 million vehicles in 2019. But other industries, such as the renewable energy sector, are also growing steadily. In order for manufacturers to secure decisive market shares in this intensified competitive situation, they must develop and produce more efficiently. Modern bidirectional DC power supplies like our EA-PSB 10000 30 kW play a central role. 

Highest power density on the market

EA-PSB 10000 30 kW series offers twice as much power as its predecessor series with only a third more volume and is currently the highest power density on the market in 4U height. Compared to the state of the art 15 kW / 3U, the power density of the 30 kW / 4U unit is increased by 50 percent, making it the technology leader for high precision, high power DC supplies. In interconnected operation a total output of up to 1.92 MW can be operated in parallel. As this is also a programmable bidirectional DC power supply unit, users benefit from advanced capabilities under different operating conditions. 

If, for example, energy storage devices need to be charged and discharged at different power levels in order to test them, this can be done with just one device. In this context, our autoranging function is particularly valuable for users. Here, the programmable bidirectional source has the ability to provide an increased current at a reduced output voltage. 

When testing components, for example in the automotive sector, it is often necessary to do this under real conditions. In this context, we have developed Battery Simulation software in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute. Together with the devices of the EA-PSB 10000 and EA-PSB 9000 series, these requirements can be met in a simple and user-friendly way. If touch-protected test networks are required according to EN 61010 SELV standard, as is the case with the 48 V on-board network, this can be fulfilled with the 60 V version.

Source and sink in one 

EA-PSB 10000 30 kW as a single device takes over the function of both a power supply unit (i.e. the source) and an electronic load (sink). This results in significant advantages for users. The device can operate either as a sink or a source and can also switch seamlessly between the two operating modes without any loss of time, which means maximum efficiency. Further advantages are that users will enjoy lower acquisition costs, lower space requirements, lower maintenance and the convenience of test software integration in a single device. 

Grid recovery reduces heat and costs

With EA-PSB 10000 30 kW’s efficient mains feedback of up to 96 %, users can reduce primary energy costs when performing tests. In contrast to conventional systems, this also reduces the heat generated by the devices as well as the costs for air conditioning. In addition to the standard forced air cooling, all models of the 30 kW / 4U technology are available with water cooling. A closed unit housing without ventilation slots prevents the exchange of internal and external ambient air. More than 90% of the power loss of the unit is dissipated by the water flow. Although water cooling is more expensive at system level, it has several advantages for specific applications. This is because upscaled power systems of up to 1.92 MW have a significant power loss that is converted into heat, even though the efficiency of the system is excellent. Installation in harsh industrial environments can also lead to blockage of the unit’s internal air-cooling system and contamination of the sensitive electronics. Water cooling without significant air exchange with the environment eliminates this problem.

Control software for optimal application

As mentioned at the beginning, manufacturers of battery systems need to achieve a significant increase in performance to be able to meet growing demand and to be successful in the market. Not only powerful hardware plays a central role here. The control system must also be designed for efficiency. For this reason, we have developed EA Power Control, an intuitive operating software for Windows PCs. With this software, users can remotely control up to 20 of our devices and use additional functions such as sequencing and data recording. Thanks to the fully digital control, users can also conveniently install updates and use our remote maintenance. Customer-specific special PID parameters that deviate from the original factory settings can thus be uploaded via remote maintenance. This function avoids the need to return the hardware to EA devices for new settings requested by the customer.

Touch display and many different interfaces

EA-PSB 10000 series also feature a 5-inch touch display, which allows intuitive operation of the bidirectional power supply units. For remote control, an Ethernet, USB and analog interface each are installed in the device as standard. Further digital interfaces can be integrated via an Anybus plug & play slot. Ethernet and Profinet with one or two ports, as well as Profibus, CANopen, CAN, Modbus, Ethercat and RS-232 are available. All interfaces are galvanically isolated from the output. If integration into other systems is desired, additional digital interfaces can be quickly retrofitted according to customer requirements.

About EA Elektro-Automatik

EA Elektro-Automatik was founded in 1974 in Germany, with the aim of manufacturing high-tech power supplies and electronic loads for research & development and industrial applications. EA has grown to over 200 employees in development and production. The company provides worldwide support with branches in China and USA as well as subsidiaries in Spain and Russia.

Sponsored by Elektro-Automatik