Bus converter module enables bidirectional operation
ProductApril 19, 2018
The Ultra High Voltage (UHV) bus converter module (BCM) from Vicor is a high efficiency K=1/16 fixed ratio converter operating from either a 400 to 700 V or 500 to 800 V primary input to produce an unregulated safety extra-low voltage (SELV) DC output voltage. Using the same Sine Amplitude...
The Ultra High Voltage (UHV) bus converter module (BCM) from Vicor is a high efficiency K=1/16 fixed ratio converter operating from either a 400 to 700 V or 500 to 800 V primary input to produce an unregulated safety extra-low voltage (SELV) DC output voltage. Using the same Sine Amplitude Converter (SAC) technology as the company’s existing low-voltage and high-voltage BCMs and nonisolated bus converter, the Ultra High Voltage BCMs operate in the high hundreds of volts, thereby enabling designers to make systems less expensive, more efficient, and much smaller. The UHV BCM can be used in parallel; for example, designers can parallel two, four, or eight UHV BCMs to meet the requirements of multi-kW loads.
The UHV BCMs can operate bidirectionally; a pair of back-to-back modules will step up the voltage by a factor of 16, transmit the power along the cable, then step the voltage back down by the same factor of 16. The UHV BCMs provide isolation – which is important for some uses, including unmanned autonomous vehicle applications – without, says the company, the usual power loss across the cable using the higher distribution voltage (power loss increases with the square of current). This means that the tether cables can be made smaller and lighter while reducing the usual voltage drop across the tether.
