AMETEK launches RS series AC and DC power sources

SAN DIEGO, USA: AMETEK Programmable Power has introduced the California Instruments RS Series of high-power AC/DC power systems. The units provide controlled AC and DC output for a wide variety of ATE and product test applications at an affordable cost. In AC mode, the RS Series delivers anywhere from 90 kVA up to 540 kVA of AC power.

In DC or AC+DC mode, 50 percent of the AC power level is available simultaneously. The RS Series provides a powerful combination of high power density and simple installation. The RS Series offers the highest AC power density available for high-performance test applications.

This high power density is achieved by using state-of-the-art PWM switching techniques that enables the RS Series to be packaged in a compact, floor-standing chassis with a footprint no larger than a typical refrigerator. Further, this high power density is achieved without the need for elaborate cooling schemes.

The base unit of the RS Series is the RS90. It provides up to 90 kVA of AC power or 60 kW of DC power. AC output is three phase and can easily be switched between AC and DC mode of output from the front panel.

For higher power requirements, up to 540 kVA, the RS180, RS270, RS360, RS450 and RS540 models are available. When outfitted with multiple controllers, these units can be made to work as though they were individual RS90 units and used for different applications. This ability to reconfigure the system provides a level of flexibility not commonly found in power systems.

The controller for the RS Series uses the latest DSP technology and allows users to define a wide variety of output waveforms, including outputs with harmonic distortion and waveforms that simulate AC and DC transients. The controller features control of individual phases separately, allowing users to simulate single phase anomalies and unbalanced harmonic line conditions.

To program these waveforms, a Windows program with a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. Using the GUI, a user specifies the waveform to be output, and the program then generates the waveform data points and downloads them to the unit via remote interface. Each unit can store up to 200 waveforms in nonvolatile memory for easy recall.

A unique feature of the RS Series is that it can both source and sink (traditional 4-Quadrant type) current and can reverse the phase relationship between the AC input voltage and current in order to regenerate up to 85 percent of the power back onto the utility grid resulting in significant reduction in the cost of operation. This mode of operation is particularly useful when testing grid-tied products that feed energy back onto the grid. An example is testing grid-tied Photovoltaic Inverters.