Current sensor for high-power EV traction inverters.

Distance and speed of charging are vital in the competitive EV sector and, like all vehicle components, high-power integrated traction inverters – which convert DC into AC and capture energy for the vehicle – need to combine superior performance with being as small and light as possible. Measuring just 29mm x 21mm x 12mm and weighing 27g, LEM’s new HSTDR current sensor is significantly more compact than a traditional C-core sensor, making it much easier to be integrated into space-limited inverter boxes.

Sofiane Serbouh, LEM’s Global Product Manager, Motor Control says: “Based on 50 years’ experience in electrical measurement, LEM is continually pushing the boundaries when it comes to developing the solutions that design engineers in the automotive industry are looking for when working with traction inverters. The designers’ challenge is to create EV car components that are not just high-performance but are also compact and light. The HSTDR fits the bill perfectly.”

The sensor enables traction inverters to operate at maximum efficiency by combining high accuracy with affordability and the ability to operate in demanding environments (the sensor has an operating range of -40°C to +125°C and is robust enough to cope with vibrations up to 10G). Using open loop Hall effect technology and an innovative magnetic core design, the HSTDR offers excellent immunity against external field and cross talk as well as consistent behaviour over frequency with little part-to-part phase shift dispersion, ensuring more accurate torque control.

What makes the sensor unique is not only that it is 42% smaller than its predecessor (LEM’s HSNDR) but also weighs 50% less and offers 50% greater measuring range, as well as best-in-class accuracy and a global error over temperature and lifetime below 3.5%. Giving EV manufacturers the choice of having different current measuring ranges in the same housing – from ±300 A up to ±1500 A – the sensor ensures galvanic separation between the primary circuit (high power) and the secondary circuit (electronic circuit), which is also suitable for 800V battery systems.

One way LEM’s designers managed to minimise the footprint of the HSTDR was by making it the only sensor for EV traction inverters, DC link and 3-phase current measurement to feature an integrated busbar, starting with the earlier HSNDR, fitting perfectly into the smallest possible core aperture. Now, with access to a fully calibrated package of core, busbar and sensing element, car component designers and EV manufacturers will have the flexibility to achieve major reductions in their products’ time to market.

@LEM_Inc @NapierPR #PAuto #Electrical #Automotive

Contribution to solar PV industry commended!

Frost & Sullivan has selected CyboEnergy to receive the 2017 "Global Solar Inverter Technology Innovation Award". The award recognizes CyboEnergy's achievements and excellence in innovation, leadership, and growth. CyboEnergy will be presented this award at Frost & Sullivan's Awards Gala to be held in Anaheim (CA USA) at the end of January 2018.

CyboEnergy CEO Dr. George Cheng said, "Our customers, partners, shareholders, and team members are a crucial part of this latest recognition and achievement. Frost & Sullivan is the most well respected market research company in the world. This prestigious award inspires us to be even more diligent in our quest to help build a cleaner and greener world."

Frost & Sullivan's Chairman, David Frigstad quoted, "To achieve excellence in technology innovation is never an easy task, but it is one made even more difficult considering today's competitive intensity, customer volatility, and economic uncertainty—not to mention the difficulty of innovating in an environment of escalating challenges to intellectual property. Within this context, your selection as recipient of this Award signifies an even greater accomplishment."

To win the Technology Innovation Award, a company must demonstrate excellence in innovation, leadership and growth. This kind of excellence typically translates into superior performance in three key areas: demand generation, brand strength, and competitive differentiation. This three-fold focus must ideally be complemented by an equally rigorous focus on visionary innovation to enhance customer value and impact.

CyboEnergy offers on-grid, off-grid, and on/off CyboInverters. First released in 2013, the patented CyboInverter is the world's first solar power Mini-Inverter that possesses the key merits of both central / string inverters and microinverters. CyboInverters offer better safety, scalability, grid-flexibility, DC-source flexibility, high efficiency, long life, easy installation, and good per watt price. In June 2015, CyboEnergy released the groundbreaking On/Off-Grid CyboInverter that can operate in either on-grid or off-grid mode, switching between the two modes automatically, depending on the grid condition. This enables the same solar power system to generate power to the grid and also act as a power backup system when the grid is down. In July 2017, CyboEnergy released a family of battery-less off-grid and on/off-grid CyboInverters that can run Inverter-Air-Conditioners (IAC).

These visionary innovations are direct results of CyboEnergy's technology excellence focused on developing solutions that increase customer value multifold. Frost & Sullivan's Industry Principal Gautham Gnanajothi said, "Due to grid capacity limitations, on-grid solar systems are no longer welcomed or cost much more to implement in many parts of the world. CyboEnergy's unique battery-less off-grid CyboInverters for electric water heaters and for Inverter-Air-Conditioners (IAC) can change the landscape of the solar industry."

For this Technology Innovation Award, the following criteria were used to benchmark CyboEnergy's performance against key competitors:

(1) Addressing Unmet Needs, (2) Visionary Scenarios Through Mega Trends, (3) Blue Ocean Strategy, (4) Price/Performance Value, (5) Customer Ownership Experience,  (6) Brand Equity.

Gnanajothi of Frost & Sullivan added, "CyboEnergy's contribution to the solar PV industry is highly commendable. The smart and scalable CyboInverters with multiple input channels enabled by Model-Free Adaptive (MFA) control are expected to become fundamental building blocks for advanced renewable systems of the future."

@CyboEnergy #PAuto @Frost_Sullivan

On or off grid inverter in one unit!

CyboEnergy has released a groundbreaking On/Off Grid CyboInverter that can operate in either on-grid or off-grid mode, switching between the two modes automatically depending on the grid condition.

Their CEO, Dr. George Cheng said, "Climate change is becoming more catastrophic and power grid shutdowns are more frequent and severe. On-grid inverters are designed to deliver power to the grid but cannot run as off-grid inverters to power AC loads, yet off-grid inverters cannot send power to the grid when the grid is on so the solar energy is wasted. Now, we have combined both functions in one inverter to offer grid flexibility."

The following graphic shows a 4-channel 1.2KW On/Off-Grid CyboInverter that has an on-grid AC output port and an off-grid AC output port. Each inverter has four input channels that can connect to four 300W DC sources including solar panels, wind generators, hydro-generators, or batteries and produce 1150W AC peak power. Each input channel has its own control and MPPT to eliminate solar partial shading problems and maximize power production. The product is patented, made in the USA and UL1741 certified.

During normal operating conditions when the grid is on, the On/Off-Grid CyboInverter works like a regular on-grid inverter that meets all UL1741 requirements including: over or under voltage shutdown; over or under frequency shutdown; and anti-islanding. When the grid is down, the inverter will shutdown immediately based on the UL safety rules. After a few seconds, the inverter will automatically switch to off-grid mode to support an off-grid AC circuit and power AC loads such as lights, fans, TV, computers, phone-chargers, and small refrigerators. When the grid returns, the inverter will switch to on-grid mode and send power to the grid.

Using the On/Off-Grid CyboInverter, the same solar power system can generate power to the grid and can also be a power backup system when the grid is down. For ease of installation, it can daisy-chain with multiple On-Grid CyboInverters. In addition, the unique multiple input channel design of the CyboInverter product family offers seamless integration of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, fuel-cell, hydro, and batteries where energy storage is desirable. The On/Off-Grid CyboInverter can significantly improve the usefulness of solar power systems and make them more competitive compared with fossil fuel and other types of renewable energy, resulting in better return-on-investment (ROI) and faster adoption of solar energy in the global market.

• CyboEnergy will demonstrate the new product at Intersolar (Booth 8721) on July 14-16, 2015 in San Francisco (CA USA).

Frequency inverters provides maximum drive performance.

One of the highlights of the Mitsubishi Electric next generation range is their new FR-A800 inverter. The ultramodern drive has been specially designed for use in classic plant and machinery and with its maximum output and performance, increased efficiency and productivity are guaranteed. At the same time, the latest in-house technology concepts will enable the optimisation of plant efficiency and energy balance. FR-A800 inverters are particularly user-friendly and offer numerous network connections. The FR-A800 series is the result of the further development of the successful FR-A700 series. It complies with international regulations and standards and is equipped with the very latest safety functions.

With the FR-A800 series of inverters, the company introduces its very latest drive technology with an output range extending from 750 watts up to a maximum of 1 megawatt. They provide for the operation of both standard asynchronous motors and IPM/SPM motor technology. USB host and USB device functions guarantee user-friendly programming and parameterisation as well as data logging functionality. It is also fully integrated in Mitsubishi Electric’s iQ Works programming environment. The built-in operation panel and multitext display allows the easy and intuitive operation of the components.

Real sensorless vector control enables maximum speed and torque quality up to a maximum frequency of 400 Hz to be achieved. An overload capability of 250 per cent during the start-up phase will ensure reliable start-up, especially under difficult operating conditions. Minimum terminal scan times of less than three milliseconds will guarantee the fastest possible response. At the same time speed rise times of less than 80 milliseconds will help to ensure maximum performance and improved productivity.

Four overload scenarios offer optimised plant planning while three additional slots expand the range of possible applications. Functional safety up to PLe/SIL3 guarantees operation in situations ranging from simple emergency stops to complex press actuation. The new series of inverters offers a total of eleven network options including CC-Link, SSCNET, Profibus-DP, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT, LONworks and Modbus RTU, enabling them to be used worldwide. Full backward compatibility with the FR-A700 series guarantees that components can be replaced easily and safely.

“Like all Mitsubishi Electric inverters, the FR-A800 series comes with numerous protective, safety and overload functions, high-quality temperature-resistant capacitors, continuously lubricated encapsulated cooling fans and double-coated control and circuit boards. Integrated maintenance timers indicate component fatigue. All these features increase the equipment availability by providing predictive and condition-based maintenance funtionalities”, explains Oliver Endres, European Product Manager Energy / LVS / Inverter of Mitsubishi Electric’s Factory Automation-European Business Group.

And now, Mitsubishi Electric has added dust and splash-proof versions with an IP55 protection rating to its FR-A800 series of modern frequency inverters. Specially designed for harsh environments and tailored to the requirements of pumps and fans, the drives are highly robust and ideally suited for use in industrial and commercial building automation systems as well as in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems