Space saving easily assembled contactor.

A 300A 1000V relay with auxiliary contact, delivering a PCB-mount alternative to high-current electromagnetic contactors in systems for power conversion and control has been introduced by Omron Electronic Components Europe. With a footprint of 56.7mm x 61.0mm, and 58.4mm high, the G9KA-1A1B-E has a compact outline and permits easy, solderable assembly.

Relays in the 30A-300A range are becoming more widely chosen in preference to conventional contactors in industrial automation and electrification projects. Designers are opting for their compact dimensions and fast, efficient on-board assembly with soldered connections, to deliver systems that are more affordable, usable, and reliable.

The G9KA-1A1B-E from OMRON is among the first high-current relays in the market to provide an auxiliary connection, commonly provided in contactors. The auxiliary mirrors the main contact to fulfil roles such as a safety indicator, interlock controller, sequencing trigger, or logic signal for interacting with external systems. With these features, the G9KA-1A1B-E is suited to safety and control switching in industrial, utility, and general power-conversion markets. Applications include industrial inverters, inverters for solar generators and energy storage systems (ESS), fast chargers for electric vehicles (EVs), power supply units (PSUs), and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

The single-pole single-throw (SPST) relay main contact is normally open (NO). The 1A/30V auxiliary contact is normally closed (NC) and opens when the main contact is activated. The main switch has initial resistance below 0.2mΩ, helping preserve system efficiency and minimizing internal heat generation. Also featuring a high-dissipation internal structure, the G9KA-1A1B-E ensures outstanding reliability and minimal PCB temperature rise in sustained high-power operation.

Designed with a contact gap of at least 4.0mm, the G9KA-1A1B-E meets the German industry standard for automatic grid-disconnection devices in photovoltaic installations, specified in VDE 0126. The auxiliary contact meets the international safety standard IEC/EN 60947-4-1 and ensures high reliability, with bifurcated terminals and minimum rated lifetime of 100,000 operations.

The G9KA-1A1B-E expands OMRON’s family of high-power board-mount relays that now includes a total of eight variants spanning ratings from 40A to 300A, 250V to 1000V. With maximum current and voltage of 300A and 1000V, the G9KA-1A1B-E has the highest rating, equivalent to the G9KA-1A-E single-channel relay, and is the first in the family above 50A to feature the auxiliary contact.

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@OmronEurope @OmronComponents @napierPR  #PAuto #Manufacturing

High-voltage connectors.

Treading the fine line between minimum installation space and maximum power transmission

Sebastian Dormeier

Electronic devices will continue to become ever smaller and lighter in future. Accordingly, product developers are required to shrink the individual components to the same extent. However, despite the fact that the components are shrinking, their electrical output will need to increase at a similar rate. This requires compliance with certain standards, a well thought-out design concept for all devices, and expertise in combining the smallest possible installation space with maximum power transmission – without compromising user safety. Sebastian Dormeier, Product Manager Circular Connectors at ODU GmbH & Co. KG discusses in this interview.

Are your customers already approaching you with these requirements?
Yes, this exact combination of minimum installation space and maximum power transmission is becoming increasingly important for our customers and is a must-have in most cases, regardless of the industry. I'll gladly explain this issue using the example of one of the new products in our high-voltage range.

What kind of connectors are we talking about and what are ODU's particular strengths?
In our plastic connector range, we have developed a new contact insert that is suitable for high voltages and ensures reliable transmission of up to 1,000 volts AC and 16 amps. All this in a connector with a diameter of 20 mm or less. In addition, we designed the contact pin layout to ensure that hot-plugging can generally be prevented in advance. We achieve this by means of lagging signal contacts, which detect the completely mated state and enable a compatible electronic system to do likewise. The transmission of current and voltage is interrupted immediately if a user attempts to plug or unplug the connector while it is under power. This special safety aspect is very important, especially with higher voltages and currents, both for our customers and ultimately for the end users themselves. It also ensures the long-term functional and operational safety of our products. On request, we also offer this connector in orange to indicate the presence of high voltages.

You mentioned the topic of safety, which standards are particularly important in this area?
Our high-voltage connectors are designed in accordance with DIN EN IEC 60664-1. This involves insulation coordination for electrical equipment. In other words: the functional insulation of components. Since our connectors are also used in many different medical technology applications, we have also designed them in compliance with IEC 60601-1 to fully support our medical customers as well.

Which features of your connectors ensure compliance with IEC 60601-1?
To achieve the highest degree of protection for medical technology devices, we increased the clearance and creepage distances between the live contacts inside the connector and the contactable parts of the enclosure. We achieved this by inserting insulating domes around the contacts. The greater the clearance and creepage distances, the higher the protection levels. In our case, we attain the highest level, or 2 MOPP, which means “Two Means of Patient Protection” for medical devices operating on 230V AC mains. Since our components comply with these two protection levels, and we have also selected matching cables for this purpose, the medical device manufacturers don't need to worry about additional integration in the power supply unit. This saves them time, effort and, of course, money. This connector is used, for example,

Besides medical technology, for which other application areas were the new high-voltage inserts developed?
We have also developed our high-voltage connector for the automotive testing sector, among others, where higher voltages are typically applied. In this particular case, pollution degree 3 was also specified to meet the harsh requirements in workshops. For example, our connector is used for a battery tester in this field. In the industrial sector, too, we have developed reversed gender variants for LED video walls to ensure that the individual screens are supplied with power, for example at concerts.

Is the high-voltage connector the only one of its kind at ODU, or are there others?
In the field of circular connectors, we also offer some customized variants for higher currents and voltages for our ODU MINI-SNAP ® series. The ODU-MAC® modules of the rectangular connector series offer solutions with up to 9.5kV in pollution degree 2 and standard solutions with 6.3 kV or 4 kV nominal voltage available at short notice. This can then be combined with other modules in a hybrid connector solution. These are then connectors without switching capacity (COC) and the partial discharge voltages have been tested. In addition to the standard portfolios, we offer many customized connectors, optionally with a high-voltage cable as a complete cable assembly. Everything from a single source, always matched to minimum installation space, maximum power transmission and maximum safety.

@ODU_Connectors @PresseBox #Electronic #PAuto #Power

Grid automation system!

National Instruments has announced a new phasor measurement unit (PMU) hardware platform for the NI Grid Automation System. Operators can use this technology to gain better insight into grid health so they can tailor measurement solutions to meet their specific and evolving needs. 

The Grid Automation System is based on the CompactRIO embedded control and acquisition system. The processing unit runs a deterministic version of Linux Real-Time with a fully programmable software application layer that helps blend custom requirements with commercial off-the-shelf hardware. The new system ships with PMU technology that functions out of the box and meets ANSI Standard C37.118.1a-2014, or as an open LabVIEW software project for customisation. 

As grid owners face challenges with renewable generation, energy storage, plug-in electric vehicles, interconnects and increasing demand, companies are seeking solutions to simplify substation automation while improving measurement visibility. As a result, PMU technology has become a mainstream tool for power systems engineers. However, this type of control platform requires a manual approach to measurement and is often tied to equipment providers. Open PMU technology resources are valuable to companies that need to develop a platform quickly, while still retaining freedom in both hardware and software design and specifications. 

National Grid UK used CompactRIO to design its own custom measurement system for harmonic measurement. The company is using this technology to measure, collate and analyse power quality on the UK transmission network. 

“We don’t know what the future is going to bring,” said Peter Haigh, Senior Power Systems Engineer at National Grid UK. “However, by choosing the CompactRIO platform solution from NI, we are able to deliver what we need now and what we don’t yet know that we need in the future.”