Page 15 - Power Electronics News - December 2020

Smart Energy TEST & MEASUREMENTS

energy is required, or adjust

other parameters such as volt-
age, current limitation.

Very advanced systems utilize
machine-to-machine com-
munication and for example,
when a parcel is approaching a
handling robot on the convey-
er belt, the last station sends

energy profile data to the han-
dling robot to preset all param-
eters in advance.
Figure 3: PRBX Smart Power supply digitally controlled by microprocessor and built
in storage capacitor for peak load and backward energy.
In all of those steps the power
warehouse to a final shipping point. In that pro- supply forms part of the eco-system and commu-
cess parcels are tagged (Bare code or RF ID) and nication links with the HPC. We are talking about

identified at the start of the process by sending power systems that are much more complex than
volume, weight and special handling information the stand-alone versions that we have been used
(e.g. fragile, no-flip) to a central database part to in the past. But factory automation designers
of the Hub Process Controller (HPC). From that are expecting power supply manufacturers to not
point, during its journey from the warehouse to only think out of the box, but to make it possible
the shipping platform, the energy required at for them to be part of the machine-to-machine Test & Measurements
every station will be known and communicated network.
for Power Electronics
from the HPC to the specific station.

One example can be seen in energy-optimized IN CONCLUSION
conveyors that are based on a succession of From a control IC to a complete factory, Smart By Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, Editor-in-Chief of Power Electronics News and EEWeb
belts powered by brushless DC motors. As the Power is everywhere and as we used to say, Smart
parcel moves forwards the energy profile of each Factories will be powered by Smart Power, de- Accessing the quality and durability of electron- WBG power modules offer features and capabil-
power system (figure 03) powering the DC motor signed by curious and innovative ‘Smart Designers’. ic devices is done by testing and measuring the ities that are orders of magnitude greater than
will be communicated by the HPC to the specif- staying power. Testing to evaluate Gallium Nitride their silicon counterparts, including 10× voltage
ic section of the conveyor, making it possible to (GaN) value is imperative, because of its immense blocking capability, 10× to 100× switching speed

pre-charge the supercapacitor bank when peak potential since its inception, to achieve more capability, and one-tenth the energy losses. They
efficient power conversion, as the key disruptor are also intrinsically radiation-hardened (rad-
For More Information in power electronics applications. The charac- hard) and offer a theoretical junction tempera-

teristics of GaN-based switches, such as high ture operation of up to 600°C. This technology
electron mobility, wide-bandgap, high breakdown could provide power systems with power densi-
▶ PowerBox
field, and much lower on-resistance, has encour- ties up to 10× higher than current silicon-based
aged power design engineers to start considering devices together with lower cooling require-
▶ Smart Power the endless possibilities that an improved power ments.
conversion could provide.

14 DECEMBER 2020 | www.powerelectronicsnews.com DECEMBER 2020 | www.powerelectronicsnews.com 15