DC UPS system for DIN rail mounting

DC UPS system for DIN rail mounting with safe LiFePO4 battery technology and maintenance-free Supercaps

The modular DC UPS system UPSI from Bicker Elektronik aims to ensure an uninterruptible 12V and 24V DC power supply. Thus the fail-safe availability of process-relevant systems and components. The UPSI system provides effective protection against power outages, flicker, fluctuations or voltage dips in the DC power supply. The compact DIN rail version Upsi-xxxxd with aluminum housing comes with an universal DIN rail mounting system for quick and flexible installation in control cabinets.

Separate DIN rail energy storage units with particularly long-lasting and safe LiFePO4 battery cells (lithium iron phosphate) as well as absolutely maintenance-free Supercaps (ultracapacitors) are available. The UPSI system features low total cost of ownership and high levels of safety and longevity due to the use of latest energy storage technologies. The uninterruptible DC power solution provides optimal protection for a wide range of applications, such as monitoring and controls technology, automation, Industry 4.0, motor drives, sensors, camera and security systems, industrial PCs, gateways and more.

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PRICES WILL GO DOWN

Intelligent charging and control units Upsi-xxxxd

Into the compact control and charging modules Bicker UPSI-1208D (12VDC) and Bicker UPSI-2406D (24VDC), a bidirectional buck-boost converter was implemented. It is the central element for the charging and discharging process of the connected energy packs to ensure an efficient and safe operation. In order to use the UPSI system with different battery chemistries, there are three charging methods with individual voltage adjustments: Constant Current, Constant Voltage and Constant Power.

The charging and control module connects to the respective energy storage via two lines. In addition to the energy transmission line, all relevant operating data of the energy storage device are continuously monitored and controlled on the data line via I2C interface. When changing the energy storage, which is possible even during operation (hot-swapping), a battery type ID authentication occurs. So to have the appropriate charging and discharging parameters on the DC-UPS.

The intelligent PowerSharing function on the input side ensures no need for oversizing of the upstream AC/DC power supply. In particular, the input power is constant and it distributes accordingly to load and charger. In other words, with low load at the output, more energy flows into the charger and vice versa.

Bicker BP-SUC-D: maintenance-free Supercap energy storage

In the area of short and medium bridging times, maintenance-free Supercaps (ultracapacitors) are efficient and durable energy storage devices with more than 500,000 charging and discharging cycles. Unlike batteries, which store energy by the detour of a chemical reaction, Supercaps are based on electrophysical principles and are loaded and ready for use within a very short time.

The Bicker BP-SUC-D energy storage units have an integrated control and protection circuit as well as a connect / disconnect power function and work in the extended temperature range.

Bicker BP-LFP-D: safe and durable lithium-ion battery technology

For longer bridging times, lithium-ion technology with high energy density is ideal. For DC UPS systems, however, it is advisable to take a closer look at the cathode material used. Especially in cells with chemically and thermally unstable cathode material such as lithium-cobalt-oxide or lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide. In-cell exothermic chemical reactions can occur under certain conditions which ultimately result in an uncontrollable “thermal runaway”.

For this reason, Bicker Elektronik decided to use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) for the cathode material which has a more stable chemical compound with increased safety and around ten times higher cycle stability (6,000 charging and discharging cycles). The Bicker BP-LFP-D battery packs also have an integrated high-performance battery management system (BMS) to optimize lifetime and safety.