Tag Archives: power supply

Smart Power Supply Unit – The Fourth Generation Quint Power

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The fourth generation of the high performance QUINT power supply units ensures superior system availability by means of new functions. Signalling thresholds and characteristic curves can be individually adjusted via Near Field Communication (NFC) interface.

The unique Selective Fuse Breaking (SFB) technology and preventive function monitoring of the QUINT power supplies increase the availability of your application.

QUINT 4 power supplies standard products are already equipped with comprehensive diagnostics that provide constant monitoring of the output voltage and output current. This preventive function monitoring visualizes critical operating states and informs the controller of them before errors occur.

Why are the QUINT 4 power supplies called a SMART power supply unit?

Selective Fuse Breaking (SFB) Technology

Even standard circuit breakers can be tripped reliably and quickly with SFB technology and withstand six times the nominal current for 15ms. Faulty current paths are switched off selectively, the fault is located, and important system parts remain in operation.

Example: Normal Power Supply Unit will take around 8-20 seconds to trip the circuit breakers. In this duration, the end device is drawing maximum power from the power supply unit which may cause the end device to be burnt. In this aspect, the QUINT 4 power supply unit ensures that the end device is well protected, thanks to the SFB technology.

Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology

With Near Field Communication (NFC), you are able to set the parameters for the power supplies easily by using a mobile phone or PC, adjusting signalling thresholds (current/voltage/power can be set differently depending on use). This saves time, minimises errors and facilitates customised applications.

Example: In a large scale project, the parameters of the power supply units can be easily set and also duplicate the rest of the QUINT 4 power supply units by using the NFC function. The parameters, MTBF (Mean Time between Failure) and serial numbers of the power supply unit can be displayed on the mobile phone or PC by NFC when it is online without interrupting the operation. Security passcodes can be set to prevent unauthorized personnel changing the parameters of the power supply unit.

Preventive Function Monitoring

Diagnostics on the bar graph help during operation and maintenance. The user is able to visualize the status of the QUINT 4 power supply unit during maintenance checks. The load current is able to be displayed as a percentage status on the bar graph. This enables the user to upgrade or maintain the panels in the future without using additional measuring tools like multimeters.

Critical operating status can be reported before errors occur. This flexible function is provided by a variety of contact configurations (relay contact, digital signal, analog signal, optical bar graph). These contacts allow the monitoring of output voltage, output current, output power, operating hours, prewarming derating, overvoltage protection and input voltage.

Power reserve

  • Easy system extension with static boost with sustained power of up 125% of the rated load current.
  • Increase of power for the future without additional power supply unit, which leads to a reduction of extra cost.
  • Reliable starting of heavy loads with dynamic boost with up to 200% power for 5 seconds – for components with high inrush current.

Example: When powering up a motor, the initial start will require high power from the power supply unit before going back to its nominal current state. The QUINT 4 power supply unit is able to start this application smoothly without disturbing the other components in operation.

High level of immunity to interference

  • Due to an integrated gas-filled surge arrester, the QUINT 4 power supply unit is protected from any transients from the incoming supply.
  • More than 20ms mains buffering time – in case of any power dip, the QUINT 4 power supply unit will maintain a suitable output.
  • High MTBF > 500,000 hrs – estimation of more than 50 years, assuming 24hours operation. 

Worldwide use

  • International approval – Class 1 Div 2, IECEX, ATEX, CE, UL, GL, EAC etc.
  • Input voltage of 100 – 240Vac or 110 – 250Vdc.
  • Automatic switch enables simple plug and play in any part of the world.

QUINT POWER 4 is the power supply that is truly a SMART Power supply. If you have any queries, feel free to contact us at marketing@phoenixcontact.com.sg!

A Simple Tip to Help Ensure Your Power Supply Is Running Efficiently

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The power supply is typically the largest processor of power in the cabinet and therefore power efficiency is an important factor.

Low-efficiency power supplies translate into extra heat in a control cabinet, which necessitates the need for a larger cooling system, resulting in higher energy consumption.
Engineers need to be aware of the efficiencies of the power supplies they design into their control systems.

Power Supply Efficiency

Power Supply Efficiency

The typical temperature within a control cabinet operating at 80% nominal power measures approximately 30°C; assuming the power supply is 92% efficient. However, if the power supply is 2% less efficient (90%), it may increase the temperature in the cabinet by as much as 10°C.

Most power supplies today have an efficiency rating above 90% but there is still room for improvement in terms of energy efficiency by the way we load our power supplies.
The best practice is to ensure that the power supply has only 50% loading.

If your project requires 5A of power, choose an efficient power supply that is able to offer 10A. This ensures that at the maximum operating capacity of the design, you are always running at 50% loading (assuming no additional loads were added to the system). But how do you know if your power supply is supplying 50% to the load? You can always use the tried and tested way of using the multimeter.

QUINT 4 LED Display

QUINT 4 LED Display

Phoenix Contact’s new QUINT 4 power supplies have onboard power LEDs displays that will let you know at what level of output your power supply is performing. The LEDs will let you now if the DC supply is “On“, performing at “>50%“, “>75%” or “>100%“. Even without a multimeter, you will be able to determine the current loading of your power supplies in real time.

In my next article, I will show you how to create a redundant, balanced power supply system that will provide you with adequate power efficiently and also extend the life of your power supply.

Click Here to find out more about Phoenix Contact’s QUINT 4 Power Supply.

A Reliable, Intelligent and Powerful “Heart” – Quint 4 Power Supply Unit

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William_HarveyA reliable, intelligent and powerful “heart”

In the course of my work, I deal with Power Supply which is the heart of the whole electrical operation. While not all operations are the same, they cannot function without electricity, which is what makes  Power Supply units indispensable.

Quint 4The new Phoenix Contact’s Quint 4th Generation Power Supplies feature an integrated NFC interface for parameterization via mobile devices or PCs. This allows the commissioning engineer to closely match signaling thresholds and characteristic curves to the plant’s requirements. More than 40 parameters can be configured on an individual basis. Once the power supply has been parameterized, it is a simple task to transfer the settings to other devices via the app or other software, which will save effort and time for the user. Moreover, the front-panel buttons for adjusting the output voltage, as well as all other configured parameters, can be protected with a password to prevent unauthorized access and tampering.

Quint_LED

The power supply offers preventive function monitoring to allow the plant operator to run remote diagnostics on the unit to optimize plant availability. The power supply permanently monitors the output voltage and current. Critical situations are visualized using front-panel LEDs, floating relay contacts, and active signal outputs; the monitoring data is signaled to the control system before a fault actually occurs.

When the power supply unit is supplying more than the specified rated current, it is operating in boost mode. The power supply and the connected loads continue to operate normally, and the output voltage remains at 24 V DC. Preventive signaling allows early detection before a fault like this actually occurs. For instance, once a motor with a mechanical problem has been identified, it can be repaired before other loads are subjected to voltage dips.

Such preventive capabilities of our power supply units work just like how we manage our heart health to ensure we can function smoothly in our everyday operations. It is thus pivotal to ensure that we have a reliable and intelligent “heart” in the form of our trusted power supply units for our businesses.

Quint 4 -cabinet

The Intelligent Redundancy Module

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Today, I visited a Maintenance Engineer from one of the plant in Jurong Island and by chance he asked me if I have any active power supply redundancy modules that have diagnosis feature to monitor the availability of the internal redundancy.

I was very happy to hear this question and told him that the answer is YES! Phoenix Contact has the QUINT Oring module for you!

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How reliable is your devices when used in harsh environments such as moisture, salt, and airborne chemicals?

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In the Oil and Gas, Marine, Offshore oil drilling platforms, Onshore oil wells, and Refineries, devices used must cope with the harsh environment reactions that can damage the electronics on printed circuit boards.

So how can device manufacturers like us do to increase the life span of these devices and making it more reliable under these conditions? Continue reading →