Reliable DIN rail power supply for railway applications
PULS has worked extensively to meet reliability expectations for railway applications. There are many parallels with industrial environments such as efficiency, size, availability, service lifetime and resistance to EMC and ambient conditions, which are equally important for power supplies in all application areas.
GBased on decades of experience in developing and manufacturing large-scale industrial power supplies, PULS has developed a range of products specifically designed for railway users: the DIN-RAILway range.
The product range includes DC/DC converters (power range: 100W, 200W and 400W), for DIN rail installation, that also conform to all EN 50155 requirements in terms of EMC, shock and vibration as well as fire protection. The DIN-RAILway devices conform to the latest technological advances and impress with high levels of efficiency and long service lifetimes. Users also benefit from high-quality standards owing to large-scale production. The latest member of this innovative, market-specific series is the CP10.241-60 (24V, 8.3A).
CP10 as DC/DC converter for the railway
The CP10.241-60 is tested in accordance with railway standard EN 50155 and is entirely weather-resistant due to the conformal-coated PC-boards. It has been adapted for the input voltage typical for railway applications of 96 – 110Vdc (-30%/+40%) and can be operated at full load – in other words entirely without derating – across an extra-wide temperature range of -40°C to +70°C – and for a time period of 10 minutes, up to +85°C. The device has been fitted with robust spring-clamp terminals to increase reliability in the event of strong vibrations and to minimise the amount of maintenance required. The CP10.241-60 is therefore resistant to shocks and vibrations.
In addition, the device has an active inrush current limiter and integrated inverse-polarity protection for DC voltages on the input.
Technical modifications to the circuit design were necessary primarily because of the input voltage range, which differs from industry requirements. 96 – 110Vdc is supported with the tolerances ±30% constant and ±40% for 100ms.
All the key attributes of the standard CP10, such as the high efficiency, small footprint and long service lifetime, have been successfully retained in the railway version. The efficiency is 94.5% and the width is just 39mm. The lifetime of the railway version is 119,000 hours at full load and +40°C ambient temperature.
The CP10.241-60 meets the high demands of the railway industry
The requirements in the rail industry are high: even in the case of high mechanical shock loads, no failures can occur in a greatly extended temperature range. The CP10.241-60 fulfils all railway requirements with reference to EMC (EN 50121-3-2), shock and vibration (EN 61373) and fire protection (EN 45545-2).
Cooling fans are not generally desirable as they represent a likely point of failure. Therefore, high-efficiency levels are required for compact devices that dissipate their heat loss via natural convection. The CP10 also excels in this area with efficiency levels to meet even the highest industrial standards.
Thanks to the successful EN 50155 test and the modified switching topology, all DIN rail power supplies in the DIN-RAILway series can be used in trains. Typical application areas include the central power supply, air-conditioning technology, train communications, infotainment and train safety.