Sources and sinks with

regenerative capability save cash

With regenerative sources and sinks by ET System electronic, energy costs can be lowered by up to 96 %.
Depending on the testing task, the annual cost savings quickly add up to five-figure amounts.

Electronic loads simulate any consumer in test

Recovery slashes costs

benches and test set-ups and allow for tests and

ET System electronic is one of the world's leading

experiments with accumulators, network and

providers for AC and DC power sources, power

battery chargers or generators. The power used

supplies, electronic loads, regenerative loads and

in these applications with multiple devices that

regenerative sources/sinks.

are connected in parallel quickly soar into values

The company offers its customers a wide range

in the megawatt range - with the result that the

of electronic loads that cover a wide range of

cost of electricity takes on impressive dimensions.

applications and are always available as

An example calculation illustrates this very clearly:

regenerative variants as well. Regenerative

A company that consumes on average per year

sources/sinks, however, are a combination of a

10 kW as continuous power for its test runs,

DC power source with a regenerative electronic

requires 87,600 kWh of electric energy for this

load and thus combine two devices in one housing.

purpose. At a price of 25 cents per kWh, the cost

for electricity is almost 22.000 per year.

When using these devices, the actual power

consumption is confined to power dissipation in

Such costs are more than just remarkable and

the source and the sink. In case of testing tasks

above all, they are also avoidable for the most

not associated with storing energy in batteries

part, because regenerative sinks or regenerative

and other accumulators, it is possible to carry out

sources/sinks are able to recover a large part of

test runs with test powers of 30 kW, for example,

the electrical energy, thus delivering a significant

while the actual power requirement is limited to

saving of over 90 % of the electricity costs. They

about 3 kW with an overall efficiency of 90 %.

convert the energy captured, for example, when

This has positive consequences not only for the

testing a battery, a generator or a photovoltaic

cost of electricity but also for the network's peak

module, to a mains voltage and feed this energy

load: It increases only slightly despite large

back into the network and the savings are

electrical test powers so that the company can

here so significant that the additional costs of a

continue to remain in favourable tariff ranges

regenerative sink are quickly recouped.

although using high peak outputs during testing.

However, energy recovery is also of interest in
cases where experiments require a lot of power
but the available fuses are only for 64 A or in
locations with a weak local network making it
impossible to draw a lot of power at any given
time, for example in test areas with inferior fuse
protection but also in remote locations, in regions
with insufficient power supplies or on sites
generating their own energy, for example with
generators or photovoltaic panels.

Hauptstrae 119 - 121

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+49-6205-3948-0
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Sources and sinks with

regenerative capability save cash
A chronological gap exists between the energy

Highest degree of efficiency through smart

consumption and the energy recovery, however,

electronics design

when testing energy-absorbing devices. The

Both the regenerative loads of ET System electronic

energy for the test run therefore must first come

as well as the regenerative sources/ sinks operate

from the power supply network, for example,

based on the same functional principle. The

when charging a battery for test purposes.

devices are equipped with a boost converter,

However, as soon as the energy storage device is

which increases the supplied input voltage to a

being drained, the thereby released energy can

DC voltage of about 650 V.This means the boost

be fed back into the network again. This usually

converter is a switched-mode power supply

does not even require a two-way meter, because

designed to produce a constant operating voltage

the recovered and returned power is usually

from fluctuating input voltages. The next step

lower than the total requirements of the company.

uses this DC voltage to supply an inverter that

This means the process here consists of a virtual

generates a sinusoidal voltage and feeds this

internal equalisation while the respective lesser

back into the network.

amount of energy is drawn from the power

supply network during the recovery.

Block diagram of a regenerative source

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Sources and sinks with

regenerative capability save cash
At what voltages and currents the devices return

A very fast control dynamics is achieved through

a mains voltage depends on the overall size and

a modern PWM rectifier control based on

above all on the quality of the electronics

IGBT across the entire power range, and the

design. The regenerative sinks or sources/sinks

configurable interfaces enable easy integration

by ET System electronic produce a stable mains

into a wide range of system and test environments.

voltage even with very low supply voltages and

Typical applications include automotive energy

thus recover energy even in voltage ranges in

systems in the field of hybrid vehicles, battery

which competing products are still ineffective.

simulation and testing, inverter and DC engine

The overall efficiency and the profitability of the

testing. The devices are naturally air-cooled,

regenerative sinks by ET System electronic is

provide output voltages up to 1.200 V and output

therefore unusually high; in the optimum working

currents up to 1.000 A with outputs from 5 kW to

range, an efficiency factor of about 96 % is not

90 kW, but can also be connected in parallel up

uncommon.

to a total capacity of 2 MW upon request. They

deliver a continuous transition from the power

Two model series for every requirement

supply to the current regeneration and a fast

ET System electronic offers their customers two

dynamic as a source (<1 3 ms) and as a sink

different series of regenerative sources/sinks that

(<50 100 ms). The residual ripple is also very

can be adapted to customer-specific requirements

low and amounts to less than 0.2 % for the

at any time if and as necessary:

source and less than 1 % for the sink.

The LAB/HPR series devices are equipped with a

highly dynamic 2-quadrant rectifier system.

Even at low voltages, a LAB/HPR device starts with the recovery process
which means high energy efficiency and low costs.

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Sources and sinks with

regenerative capability save cash
The devices are equipped with intelligent

Type LAB/SL sources/sinks

monitoring and field-proven control functions,

The type LAB/SL sources and sinks are equipped

feature an electrically isolated output and digital

with a highly dynamic 2-quadrant rectifier system

interfaces such as relays, RS-232, RS-485, IEEE 488,

designed specifically for comprehensive power

LAN, USB and an SD card slot. The front panel has

testing in the vehicle operation of electric motors,

a graphical display with intuitive menu navigation

such as in the use of hybrid motors. The PWM

used for operation. Remote control via PC or CAN

rectifier control based on an IGBT ensures a fast

terminal is possible as well depending on model

control dynamic across the entire power range

and design.

and the configurable interfaces enable easy

integration into a wide range of system and test

With integrated features such as UI mode, script

environments. The devices of the LAB/SL series

mode, UIP mode (optional) or UIR mode (optional),

are naturally air-cooled, provide output voltages

very productive work is possible, and the script

up to 1.000 V and output currents up to 800 A

control via SD card or digital interface also allows

with outputs up to 500 kW but can be connected

for the programming of any processes and output

in parallel as well up to a total capacity of 2 MW.

characteristics. The current operating values can

They offer a continuous transition from the power

be written to the memory card in an adjustable

supply to the power supply regeneration and a

interval so that establishing an independent

high control dynamics of less than 3 msec with a

"stand-alone" test station is possible in conjunction

low residual ripple of less than 0.5 %, and the

with the script control without further investment.

integrated PFC ensures low system perturbations.

The devices are equipped with intelligent
monitoring and field-proven control functions,
feature an electrically isolated output and
interfaces such as RS232, relays, CAN terminal
and Ethernet.

Regenerative LAB/HPR 30100

with an output power of 30 kW

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Sources and sinks with

regenerative capability save cash
Electronic loads also capable of energy recovery

Battery tests with input voltages between 0.5

In addition to regenerative sources/sinks,

and 120 V are possible as well. The maximum

ET System electronic also offers a wide range of

measuring capacity here reaches up to 999 Ah at

electronic loads, which are always available as

a resolution of 0.1 A, the measurement period

regenerative variants as well. For example, the

can be between 1 second and 32 hours. The

loads of the ELP/DCM series include 16 sizes and

devices accommodate currents between 3.3 and

cover a range from 150 W up to 200 kW. They can

1650 A with internal resistances between 7 and

accommodate currents up to 1.500 A at voltages

55 m while the short-circuit function is enabled.

up to 1.200 V and provide all operating modes

required in practice:

The desired current waveforms can be

In constant current mode, they accommodate

programmed comfortably with the front panel.

currents up to 500 A maintained with an accuracy

The soft start can be programmed for a delay

of 0.05 % and 0.1 %, respectively.

between 1 ms and 200 s, depending on the

respective temperature and voltage settings.

In constant resistance mode, resistance ranges

In dynamic tests, the rise/fall times can be set and

between 0.03 /0.3 and 5 k/10 k can be set

the maximum current rise times of 2.5 A/uS allow

with an accuracy of 16 bit. Constant voltages up

dynamic load applications, which are required in

to 1.200 V can be set depending on size, with an

many applications.

accuracy of 0.03 %+0.02/0.05 % FS. And last but

not least, in constant power mode it is possible to
realise power up to the full 200 kW with an
accuracy of 0.1/0.2 %+0.1/0.15 FS.

Hauptstrae 119 - 121

D-68804 Altluheim

phone
fax

+49-6205-3948-0
+49-6205-37560

e-mail
web

info@et-system.de
www.et-system.de