The New Power Source for Various Vehicles : Power Battery Testing

For nearly a century, trains have been powered by direct electrical drive, while ships and small to medium-sized aircraft have relied on gasoline and diesel engines. Now, we can finally realize various battery-powered designs. An increasing number of companies are investing research and development resources into our most important modes of public transportation.

Bidirectional power supplies can flexibly test D2D converters without the need for real batteries. Programmable DC power supplies offer rich waveform generation to meet the EN 50155-2017 standard. Rregenerative DC loads offer the best power density for battery life testing of lithium-ion and fuel cell technologies.

Solutions

Long-Duration Battery Simulation Testing

Battery-electric trains, which minimize infrastructure investment due to the absence or limited use of overhead lines, also offer passengers a more comfortable ride. Similar to electric vehicles, new testing protocols are required for all new power electronic components on these battery-electric trains.

Fuel cells provide a stable and high-capacity power source for long-distance travel, and supported by lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, this hybrid solution represents the future of battery-electric trains. Optimizing energy transfer between the fuel cell, lithium-ion batteries, and DC-DC converters will be a challenging task for engineers. Programmable and configurable battery simulators can streamline testing and reduce time-to-market by enabling diverse scenario testing.

 

Electrification of Vessels, from Yachts to Large Cargo Ships

According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, ships transport approximately 80% of the world's goods. Transoceanic shipping will continue to increase in the coming years. However, ships generate significant exhaust emissions, such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, soot particles, fine particulate matter, and carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore, electrification is needed to remove these heavy pollutants from the shipping industry, and it's the way forward.

Three Main Approaches to Ship Electrification:

  1. Diesel-Electric Propulsion: Diesel generators produce electricity. This electricity then drives electric motors, which power the ship's propellers.

  2. Hybrid Propulsion: In addition to internal combustion engines, ships are equipped with batteries that can be activated for short periods when peak power is needed. The batteries can also store excess energy, allowing the ship to navigate using electricity alone for a certain amount of time.

  3. All-Electric Propulsion: There are no internal combustion engines on board; all energy comes from batteries.

 

Aerospace Industry Measurement Challenges

Avionics and other electrical equipment on aircraft are subjected to some of the most extreme electrical conditions. To ensure reliable operation once airborne, avionics undergo various tests to prove their resilience to over- and under-voltage conditions, power interruptions, and voltage transients.

MIL-STD-704, "Aircraft Electric Power Characteristics," defines the requirements and characteristics of aircraft electrical power, while MIL-HDBK-704-7 and MIL-HDBK-704-8 describe test methods and procedures for equipment designed to operate from 270 VDC and 28 VDC power sources, respectively.

Elektro-Automatik's line of DC power supplies, electronic loads, and bidirectional power supplies possess features that allow today's avionics to withstand scrutiny and meet future demands. EA's PSI, EL, ELR, and PSB series offer voltages up to 2000V, with autoranging and onboard arbitrary waveform and function generation capabilities. This flexibility enables EA to generate or sink the power needed to simulate real-world conditions and ensure avionics and airborne equipment continue to operate, even under the most adverse circumstances.

 

High Voltage and High Current Measurement Support for Power Analyzers

The Vitrek PA900 is a stand-alone, 4-channel power analyzer for testing power module performance and recording parameter changes. Its high voltage module (Voltage K module of PA920) can measure up to 1625Vrms.

The Vitrek PA900 power analyzer can be used with ultra-high precision current sensors, handling currents of 3000A or greater. Its ppm-level accuracy significantly improves the precision of power parameter measurement and calculation.

Electrical Safety Testing — Hipot Tester / Electrical Safety Compliance Analyzer

Traditional hipot testers sometimes fall short of the safety testing requirements in the aerospace and other transportation industries. Higher insulation resistance measurements or high-current DC hipot testing are often necessary. The aerospace industry also frequently requires a 400Hz testing frequency.

The Vitrek 95x Electrical Safety Tester Series offers enhanced output capabilities, providing DC hipot testing up to 15kVdc or 50mA, and insulation resistance measurements up to 2Tohm. If you need a 500VA output capacity, this advanced electrical safety analyzer is a must-have.