September 17, 2012. AMETEK Programmable Power at Autotestcon 2012 featured its Sorensen ASD Series 40-V and 60-V precision programmable AC/DC power supplies. The Sorensen ASD’s water-cooled packaging allows it to provide up to 30 kW of power in a 3U form factor. Being water cooled, it is suitable for precision programmable power applications with stringent air-quality requirements; it can serve in clean rooms or in industrial environments that are dirty or potentially corrosive and damaging to air-cooled power supplies.
The ASD DSP-based digital architecture, with real-time digital control and graphical user interface (GUI), enables features for better control and monitoring of critical processes and applications. For example, the optional advanced features package includes a built-in oscilloscope function for measurement and display of power, voltage, current, output impedance, output cable impedance, and output cable voltage drop. The ASD provides the ability to program different fault levels, enabling detection of output cabling, connection, or load problems before they cause critical system problems. The ASD can replace a system programmable logic controller (PLC) by closing the loop on an external parameter such as temperature.
Additionally, the ASD’s Advanced Diagnostics And Maintenance (ADAMSM) function includes a“flight data recorder” feature that can capture and record multiple parameters facilitating troubleshooting and process improvement.
Sorensen ASD offers precise programming of voltage and current slew rate for sensitive loads. Modules within one chassis can be connected to different loads and controlled independently. Industrial field bus interface (Modbus-TCP, Modbus-RTU, Ethernet/IP (Industrial Protocol), or EtherCAT) enable real-time digital control. A built-in energy meter calculates the delivered energy throughout a process or period of time, and a real-time clock enables accurate time stamping of events. Built-in power quality monitoring detects and saves input voltage anomalies, which can be saved for later diagnostic analysis.
In addition, programmable analog interface scaling makes it simpler to integrate the ASD with existing systems. Load impedance measurement, including rate-of-change calculations, enable load “state of health” monitoring and implementation of system preventive maintenance algorithms. Programmable filter bandwidth of the output voltage, current, and power monitors let users accommodate their response speed to particular needs.
Finally, a full featured GUI helps to test and debug the system by communicating with the power supply in real time. Prices start at $6,400.
In addition, AMETEK at Autotestcon highlighted its recent shipment of a regenerative 1-MVA AC+DC source system to the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) on the campus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO. The system, which is to be used for grid simulation in the test and evaluation of advanced energy systems such as micro-grids and renewable energy inverters, is based on AMETEK’s California Instruments RS Series high-power AC source.
