Power supplies offer built-in solar array simulator

25th July 2014

B&K Precision

Staff Reporter

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Datasheet

Three DC power supplies, the PVS10005, PVS60085, and PVS60085MR, have been introduced by B&K Precision. Delivering output power of up to 5.1kW, the PVS Series boasts excellent regulation, low noise, and fast transient response times. Offering a built-in solar array simulator (SAS) function to generate photovoltaic I-V curves, the power supplies provide high power density in a compact 2U form factor making them suited to high voltage testing up to 1000 V, motor inverter testing, and solar array testing applications.

The optional SAS function can enable users to easily simulate solar arrays under different weather conditions to validate the effectiveness of the solar inverter. The SAS software allows for a variety of I-V curve input parameters (Voc/Isc/Vmp/Imp/FF/FFv/FFi), along with user-definable irradiance profiles and a custom 1024-point voltage and current table. The software can also monitor and log real-time voltage, current, power, MPPT efficiency, and average MPPT efficiency.

Offering multi-ranging operation up to 3kW, users can replace multiple supplies on a bench or rack using the PVS60085MR. This model shares the same voltage and current ranges of the PVS60085 (600 V, 8.5 A) and automatically recalculates voltage and current limits. Users can select model PVS10005 for high voltage testing up to 1000V at 5A. Unlike other high power supplies that require a 3-phase AC line input, these power supplies only need a single-phase mains connection.

The PVS Series offers front panel features including a bright VFD display, protection LED indicators, and numerical keypad with rotary control knob and cursors for setting output levels quickly. Each model provides internal memory storage to save and recall up to 100 instrument settings. For programming, the power supplies provide a list mode function, an external analog programming and monitoring interface, and standard USB, RS-232, GPIB, and LAN interfaces supporting SCPI commands. Remote control software is also available for front panel emulation, generation and execution of test sequences, and logging measurements via a PC. Users can integrate this application software with NI’s Data Dashboard app to create custom dashboards on smartphones and tablets for additional monitoring functions.

Protection features for the power supply series include overvoltage (OVP), overcurrent (OCP), overpower (OPP), and overtemperature (OTP) protection, along with constant voltage-to-constant current (CV-to-CC) and constant current-to-constant voltage (CC-to-CV) foldback protection modes.

The PVS Series is available now, with the PVS10005 and PVS60085 listed at a price of $4,790, the PVS60085MR listed at $3,980, and the SASPVS software lists at $295.