AC inrush current limiter for capacitive loads

According to Powersolve’s Managing Director Peter Clark, the ESB-101 is not to be confused with a simple NTC (thermistor) solution. “It is a true current limiter and cuts off all peak currents when starting loads under practically every AC condition”. Extreme conditions can occur on AC lines in the event of a break in the supply and when power returns, high current peaks can often cause havoc and will trip circuit breakers. In decentralised areas, this will often lead to increased maintenance costs as the breakers require re-setting. The ESB-101 current limiter prevents this happening.” Adds Peter Clark.

It is fitted with an internal temperature fuse to prevent overheating should the bypass circuit fail and is designed to provide high reliability and maintenance-free operation.

The ESB-101 is available in either 115VAC or 230VAC versions and limits power-up currents and provides continuous operation up to 48A depending on the model selected. The ESB- 101 has an inrush limiting time as low as 300ms, a capacitive load range of 1000µF to 10,000µF and an operating temperature range of -40 to +70ºC.  It can be wall or 35mm DIN Rail mounted, accepts 26 to 10 AWG wire with screw terminals and is comes in an IP20 rated housing.

The limiter is also designed to be integrated into capacitive loads such as AC-DC power supplies running in parallel operation. When started, these can cause peak currents in the region of several hundred amps which will trip breakers or disrupt network installations. The ESB-101 is a cost-effective way to prevent this. Other models are available for single or three-phase applications.