Relec announces OPS-260 DC-AC inverter series to protect rail systems

The latest addition to the successful DC-AC inverter series is sealed to IP66, making it ideal for outdoor and other harsh environments where electronic equipment might be affected by moisture or conductive particles.

The inverters provide up to 260VA of usable output power at either 120Vac or 230Vac, for 50 or 60Hz operation. There is a choice of six DC input voltages: 12V, 24V, 36V, 48V, 72V, or 110Vdc.

The OPS-260 inverters consist of two cascaded converters, one DC-DC generating an intermediate output voltage from the input voltage. The intermediate voltage is inverted to supply the output voltage and frequency by means of a second DC-AC converter.  The input is protected against reverse polarity by means of a fuse and surge protector and will shut down internally when voltage conditions are incurred to protect any connected batteries from deep discharge.

The output is protected against maximum average power and maximum peak current. The OPS-260 will shut down when the operational power curve limit is exceeded for more than one second and will try to restart every two seconds after shutdown, up to a maximum of three times. If the overload persists, the unit will remain shut down until the overload is removed and the input is reset.

Standard features include remote inhibit, output failure alarm and 3000Vac rms input to output isolation. 

An integrated heatsink allows the OPS-260 to operate at full output power with no derating at ambient temperatures up to +55°C.  Electrical interfaces use fully sealed Molex 150 series connectors.

The compact OPS-260 inverter measures just 248x135x67mm with an internal flange plate for chassis / cold wall mounting. It is certified to EN50163:2006 (supply voltages of traction systems), EN50124-2:2017 (insulation co-ordination over-voltages and related protection) with protection against transient over-voltages, and EN61287-1 (power converters installed on board rolling stock). It also meets EN50155 and EN62368-1 covering electronic equipment on rolling stock and safety standards for IT and AV equipment, respectively and EN45545-2 for fire and smoke.

The design is based on the long-established OCS-260 series, with extra environmental protection added to allow operation in unprotected areas.

The OPS-260 comes with a standard three-year, or optional five-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Target applications are power supplies for information systems, communications and safety-critical equipment in electrical systems within trains. They can be used to power on-board monitoring sensors, climate control systems as well as lighting and door opening systems.