New power technologies boost efficiency in marine applications

Powerbox has four new products within its marine line, PT570, PT571, PT576 and PT577, complying with the major classifications and approved by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and major marine approval organizations. Designed for demanding applications requiring peak power, the new series can deliver 50% extra peak current for 10 seconds and exhibits high efficiency, up to 92%. The devices can be operated from -25C to +70C without derating in convection cooled conditions. Built for robustness the new products are suitable for use in harsh environments with high vibrations, e.g. on diesel generators and all units are protected by conformal coating to withstand condensing conditions. The PT570 (250W) and PT571 (125W) are built-on baseplate technology whilst the PT577 (250W) and PT576 (125W) are made for DIN-Rail mounting. Generally two zones are distinguished on a ship; the “bridge and the open deck zone”, and the "general power zone", which basically cover all other areas in the ship. The open deck areas and bridge have extra demands on the electromagnetic emission and immunity (EMC), since sensitive equipment is positioned here, such as communication, radar and navigation devices. These EMC requirements regarding emissions are well below the known EN55022 Level B and measurement starts at 10kHz, instead of the usual 150kHz. All products are EN60945 compliant. The limits regarding mechanical and climatic requirements are also more demanding than for the average industrial application. Vibration levels up to 4g are common, as well as large temperature fluctuations from -25C and + 70C and high relative humidity where condensation cannot be excluded. The new products integrate the latest power technologies specific to the Marine Industry offering a unique combination of electrical and mechanical performance. To guarantee the highest level of safety, marine power architects often require redundant power sources. To ensure this, several power supplies are connected in parallel, linked to each other through diodes. To simplify installation and utilization, the devices include, as standard, an internal ORing diode, making them optimized for redundancy. The user can select if the power unit will be used in “Single Mode” or “Redundant Mode”. “The marine industry and demanding industrial applications require very high reliability combined with robustness. Such products have to be designed following strict rules and use state of the art technology” says Martin Fredmark, VP product management. “Powerbox Marine Line reflects Powerbox expertise to develop up front products for the most demanding application.” "The new products are the result of ongoing evolution of our design platforms. The power density was increased by 40%, while at the same time improving the energy efficiency and adding to the functionality" says Harm-Jelle Zwier, senior design engineer.