September 2016 Design & AApplic tions Introducing Aimtecs New Ultra-Wide Input DC-DC Converter series for powering Photovoltaic (Solar) Systems and High Voltage Inverters In a report written by GTM, they calculated that these high- Introduction er voltage systems would increase efficiency by 1.5 2% Year after year, photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers strive to and would account for 9% of the global demand in 2016, create more efficient solar panels through technological equal to 4.6GW. Due to these findings, it is clear that the advancements and the utilization of different material. next step for PV would be to upgrade the internal com- However, despite the recent efficiency gains, there still ponents of the numerous devices contained within these remains a simpler method to improve the overall effec- sophisticated power systems. tiveness of these PV systems. For example, Aimtecs new AM10/15/40W-800xxS-NZ DC-DC modular converters Introduction of the new AM10/15/ have an exclusive ultra-wide input range (200V DC to 1500V 40W-800xxS-NZ DC-DC Modular DC) that will create new efficiency gains ranging from 1.5- Power Converters 2% in comparison to the 1000V DC converters currently available on the market. Furthermore, Aimtecs new DC-DC The AM10/15/40W-800xxS-NZ DC-DC converter is a converters will allow a straightforward, cost effective and unique product in the marketplace that has an input range more compact design of the main electrical components from 200-1500VDC, a 4000VAC isolation and built-in involved in the harvesting of solar energy due to its inno- multi-protection functions. These features can be used vative design and its seamless integration with Aimtecs in various applications in the PV field as well as many complete line-up of products. These benefits, in turn, will other fields that require a stable and reliable power source be passed on to the manufacturer through faster time- (i.e. wind turbines). to-market, cost reductions and a more efficient system. Why Aimtecs AM10/15/40W-80024s-NZ Global Strive Towards Green technology can create a game-changing Renewable Energy shift in the market In 2015, following the Global Climate conference in Paris, What sets Aimtecs series of DC-DC converters apart: a carbon emission reduction agreement was signed which Ultra-wide exclusive input range from will fuel the development and popularity of green renewable 200-1500VDC energy like photovoltaic and wind power. Due to the heavy Standard output of 5V/12V/15V/24V social support towards green renewable energy, the di- Manufacturers can design smaller, cheaper and minishing costs as well as the new efficiency gains, PV and more compactly designed products (inverter, wind energy systems are poised to be in very high demand. monitoring system) Multiple protection mechanisms: The ultimate goal for the PV industry is to keep increas- Input under-voltage protection ing the efficiency of their panels through technological Reverse input protection advancement and reducing production costs. To do so, Output over-current protection they look for the latest off-the-shelf materials to make more Short-circuit protection efficient and cost effective panels. Currently, these sys - Over-voltage protection tems are built on existing 1000Vdc input designs, which are 33% lower than Aimtecs new 1500Vdc input design. 2016 Aimtec. All rights reserved. Aimtec.com High reliability in harsh environments ing the power from the solar array to the 24VDC that the Industrial grade operating temperatures: -40C~+70C monitoring unit requires. The DC-DC converter AM1DS- High efficiency , low ripple & noise 0505SH30-NZ is used to drive the hall sensor and offers Meets EN62109 certification and pending UL508 isolation between the high and low voltages. The DC-DC Encapsulated packages converter AM2LS-0503S-NZ provides the 3.3V isolated PCB mounting, DIN-rail mounting available voltage for the MCU. Finally, the RS-485 transceiver integrates the isolated serial communication signal and This innovative DC-DC converter allows the power mod- isolated power, which reduces electromagnetic interfer- ule in the solar panel array to accept an input beyond ence and avoids ground loop interference. This solution 1000V, which is key since the output varies according is functional and meets the customers requirements to the suns intensity. If the output remains too high for while offering top tier safety. extended periods of time, this may result in unstable operating voltage, wiring complications and single See Figure 2 - Power Solution for Monitoring Unit short-circuited problems, which can lead to whole of PV Inverter system power failures. The combiner box is used to combine the current from the array, which then passes through the DC cabinet Furthermore, the block diagram of Aimtecs DC-DC and gets converted to AC in the inverter. This inversion converter uses fl y-back topology thanks to its mature process needs to be monitored to make certain the and reliable PWM control IC. It also adopts the design inverted voltage meets the requirement. In the diagram, of high voltage dual transistors in series and isolated AM10/15/40W-800-NZ gets power from the high-voltage power. Finally, the high-voltage start-up circuit bus and reduces it to 24V DC. Next, the low-drop regu- employs Aimtecs high-voltage start-up technology and lator AMSRI-7805-NZ and AMSRI-7815-NZ can provide has numerous protection circuits built-in. the correct voltage with high efficiency for the upcoming circuit. AM2LS-0503S-NZ provides the 3.3V isolated Simple PV application for the AM1 0/ voltage for the MCU. 15/40W-800xxS-NZ DC-DC Converter Conclusion See Figure 1 - Power solution for monitoring unit of Aimtecs new AM10/15/40W-800xxS-NZ DC-DC convert- PV combiner box er offers an industry leading input range from 200VDC In this typical monitoring unit for the solar combiner to 1500VDC and is complemented by a complete range box, the wide input range of the DC-DC converter and of products that will generate estimated efficiency gains the 4000VAC isolation simplifies the process in convert- Aimtecs 100 ~ 1500VDC Input Voltage Modular Converters Product Line Parameter AM5W-NZ AM10W- AM10W- AM15WM-NZ AM15W- AM15W- AM40W- AM40W- 600xxS-NZ 800xxS-NZ 600xxS-NZ 800xxS-NZ 600xxS-NZ 800xxS-NZ Output power 5W 10W 10W 15W 15W 15W 40W 40W Input range 100-1000VDC 100-1000VDC 200-1500VDC 100-1000VDC 200-1500VDC 200-1200VDC 200-1500VDC Output voltage 5VDC 5, 9, 24VDC 5VDC 12, 15, 24VDC I/O isolation 4000VAC 4000VDC 4000VAC Switching freq. 75kHz 75kHz 65kHz 65kHz 75kHz 65kHz 65kHz 65kHz 100mV (p-p) 100mV (p-p) 150mV (p-p) 150mV (p-p) 100mV (p-p) 150mV (p-p) 100mV (p-p) 150mV (p-p) Ripple & noise typ. typ. typ. typ. typ. typ. typ. typ. Efficiency 72% Up to 80% Up to 79% Up to 80% Up to 84% Operating -40+80C -40+70C -25+70C -40+70C -25+70C -40+70C temperature 125.00 x 75.00 109.00 x 58.50 70.00 x 48.00 125.00 x 75.00 89.00 x 63.50 125.00 x 75.00 Dimensions 70.00 x 48.00 x 23.50 mm x 40.00 mm x 30.00 mm x 23.50 mm x 40.00 mm x 25.00mm x 40.00mm Aimtec.com