High-voltage DC contactor for superior control in battery charging stations

TE Connectivity now offers the IHVA 200, a DC contactor for 200A/110VDC loads that delivers increased cost-effectiveness and reliability to high-voltage battery charging stations.

The new contactor includes a patented design that removes the standard charging station approach of employing inert gases in a hermetically sealed zone to stop explosions when an excess current or voltage is implemented. Instead, the same end is accomplished with a simpler mechanical structure to aid the arc extinction, assisting to reduce time-to-market, while providing excellent performance. The design, developed by the company, extends electrical lifetime to 5,000 cycles, without any deterioration in performance.

“TE developed the IHVA200 for use in charging stations, as well as industrial applications like AGVs and electric forklifts,” says product manager Steven Bian. “Its 110VDC/200A rating is just right for these sorts of applications, but the really important thing is that it provides the performance that our customers working in these applications want, together with cost-efficiency. It helps them create designs that are competitive, safe and reliable.

“At TE, we focus our product development on customer needs. The high value we place on innovation is reflected in our IHVA200. We believe that current offerings rated at 500V are often much more than is necessary for the intended application. Our approach is more fit for purpose and more cost-effective.”

The IHVA has one form X main contact and customers can choose the coil voltage from 12, 24 or 48VDC coils. They can also choose a version with an auxiliary contact to detect the main contact status for maintenance purposes. The design is “non-polarity,” which means that users do not have to work out which pole is negative, and which is positive when making a connection. In addition, wiring installation is made easy with a quick-connect terminal for connecting the coil and auxiliary contact. The IHVA 200 DC contactor has an operating temperature range starting at -40C and going up to 70C.