News and Events
January 2012 | New Product Information
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September 2011 | PULS UK improves reliablity of wind turbines.
Using super-capacitors rather than batteries to control turbine pitch is a major step forward for the wind power industry and the PSA395 will play an important role in improving efficiency and reliability.
PULS UK has announced the introduction of its PAS395 power supply developed to charge the latest super-capacitors used to power wind turbine pitch control systems. Super-capacitors (electrical double-layer capacitors) are rapidly replacing the lead acid batteries previously used to drive the powerful motors controlling the giant turbine blades.
PULS’s PAS395 delivers a high-charging current - a two-Farad capacitor will be fully charged in five minutes – and the unit’s high efficiency means that very little heat is generated. Once charging is complete the charger automatically switches to Energy Saving Mode to reduce power losses. The PAS395 can operate in ambient temperatures of between -40°C to +65°C and at an altitude of up to 6,000 metres, making it suitable for all climatic conditions and locations. Remote monitoring and control are standard features.
The PAS395 weighs in at only 2.3kg and measures 310 x 154 x 80mm. It can be mounted in any orientation to allow easy installation even in confined areas.
Pitch control systems are housed within the spinner of the turbine and revolve at around 30 cycles per minute, so using conventional lead acid batteries presents a risk of acid spillage and poor reliability. Switching to super- capacitors improves efficiency, extends service life and consequentially reduces maintenance costs.
PULS’s Managing Director Harry Moore said, “The demand for clean energy and more efficient ways of producing it is increasing across the globe. Using super-capacitors rather than batteries to control turbine pitch is a major step forward for the wind power industry and the PSA395 will play an important role in improving efficiency and reliability.”
PULS UK is a specialist manufacturer of DIN Rail power supplies and has developed some of the most advanced technologies for use within power supplies, allowing them to achieve the highest efficiencies. PULS UK is a subsidiary of PULS GmbH, based in Munich, Germany. With three factories it is the second largest producer of DIN Rail power supplies in the world.
August 2011 | PULS UK Introduces Life Expectancy Data Logging to QS/QT 40 Power Supplies
Leading Din Rail power supply manufacturer PULS UK has introduced data logging to its single-phase QS40 and three-phase QT40 1 Kw units. The move will enable the company to establish life expectancy figures based on actual in service conditions.
PULS uses semi conductor technology to collect data relating to operating temperature, input voltages and other vital information which can later be downloaded to calculate the life expectancy of the product. The company is also developing a version that can be downloaded externally allowing customers to monitor the condition of the power supply and schedule its replacement during normal maintenance programmes. PULS expects its new technology to be particularly effective in mission critical applications, such as oil and gas installations, where power failure could result in serious consequences for operators.
Power supply manufacturers use MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) procedures to estimate the life expectancy of their products using accepted industry figures; but PULS is the first to provide accurate information based on real-life operating conditions.
PULS UK’s Managing Director Harry Moore said, “Being able to accurately establish life expectancy of a power supply will be a major benefit for our customers, especially those with installations in difficult to reach or hazardous locations. Power supplies seldom fail at convenient times, it’s often during bad weather or on a bank holiday, so replacing them is always expensive. Our new technology means we will be able to accurately predict how long our units are likely to last, so our customers can replace them before things become critical. Timely maintenance is always cheaper than dealing with a breakdown!”
July 2011 | Inefficient electrical equipment costing British industry millions.
With energy prices spiraling out of control and governments around the world calling for industry to reduce its carbon emissions, what part can the electronics industry play to increase the efficiency of electrical equipment and convince manufacturers to look more closely at lifetime costs when sourcing components?
Here Harry Moore, Managing Director of leading power supply manufacturer PULS UK gives his views on how energy is being needlessly wasted while inefficient so called ‘green’ technologies are being encouraged and subsidised by the taxpayer.
My company, PULS UK, designs and manufactures some of the most efficient power supplies in the world with typical efficiencies of over 96% compared with the average of around 80%. To put this into context, if we assume energy costs are 10p per KWh (kilowatt hour) and we are using a computer with a 1000W (1KW) power supply, this would mean a saving of a whopping £174 a year saving and a corresponding reduction in C02 emissions. It is true that our units are more expensive, around 20%, but when you consider the lifetime savings in energy achieved by specifying more efficient power supplies the advantages are obvious.
Unfortunately buyers sourcing original equipment for manufacturers often have a different agenda with price being the main criteria rather than the lifetime cost of ownership for the end user. I suppose it’s understandable, they have to compete in tough markets so from their point of view the cheaper they can produce their products the better. After all, how many end users are aware of the ongoing cost of ownership in terms of energy efficiency and are prepared to pay a little extra initially to save more in the future? Surely supply chain controls should include a comparative lifetime cost?
It seems crazy with all the talk about reducing carbon emissions that the government and the EU are not encouraging manufacturers to specify high- efficiency power supplies when they design new electrical equipment. We’re all being told to use low-energy light bulbs and to insulate our lofts, but the public are oblivious to the energy they’re wasting whenever they watch TV or use an electrical appliance that’s fitted with an inefficient power supply.
June 2011 | PULS UK will supply legacy products 'for as long as customers need them'
Power supply manufacturer PULS UK has said it will continue to maintain stocks of every item in its range for as long as customers need them. Users can rest assured that identical PULS replacement units will always be available, simplifying maintenance and avoiding the need for system re-certification. PULS' commitment to continue production of legacy products such as its Silverline range (illustrated), means that customers can still obtain units which were introduced over fifteen years ago.
PULS says that even when demand for a product becomes very small customers will be given the opportunity to place an order for replacement stock before production finally ceases.
PULS UK’s managing director Harry Moore said: “We think it’s important our customers have the confidence to know they’ll be able to rely on PULS to supply replacement power supplies however long they’ve been in service. Because we manufacture everything we sell, rather than badging other people’s products, we control production in the best interests of our customers; that means they can be sure the unit they need will always be available when they need it.”
May 2011 | PULS UK introduces ePLAN P8 macros for Dimension and Miniline power supllies
Din Rail power supply manufacturer PULS UK has announced that technical data and ePLAN P8 macros for its Dimension and MiniLine ranges are now available on the ePLAN Data Portal. The move will streamline the CAE design process and allow the seamless implementation of PULS’s technology into the project.
The portal provides access to high-end CAE/CAD software used by designers in the field of electro engineering. The ePLAN P8 software, developed by the Friedhelm Loh Group offers unlimited options for project planning, documentation and administration of automation projects. With around 60% of the market ePlan is the leading player in this sector.
PULS product data and ePLAN certified macros can be downloaded from the portal and transferred into any individual project. The data portal will be regularly updated by PULS as new products and product data become available. Old ePlan 5 macros will still be available on the PULS website but will no longer be provided for new products.
PULS order numbers, technical macros for the creation of circuit diagrams, construction drawings for assembly and functional diagrams for easy product selection or preview pictures, can be easily selected via drag-and-drop from the ePLAN Data Portal into the CAE-Project.
April 2011 | PULS UK Gains ATEX Approval for Full Range of Redundancy Modules
PULS UK, the world’s leading manufacturer of DIN rail power supplies has been granted ATEX approval for its full range of redundancy modules, allowing them to be used in potentially explosive environments. Redundancy modules are used to back up critical devices in the event of the main source of power being interrupted. The units have been tested to EN 60079 – 15 and are approved for use in Class 1 Zone 2 Category 3G explosive atmospheres. PULS says no electrical changes were necessary to achieve the approval and that the Standard had been met in essence by dual conformal coating the internal components of the units. The six ATEX approved PULS modules, which range in output from 10A to 80A, will not increase in price despite the higher specification.
ATEX, which derives its name from the French 'ATmosphère EXplosif' is the framework for controlling explosive atmospheres and the standards of equipment and protective systems used in them. By achieving EN 60079 – 15 approval PULS UK is now well placed to become a major supplier of redundancy modules in this important sector of the market.
An explosive atmosphere is created when dust, mist or gases become mixed with the air and produce a flammable substance. Many industrial environments may contain, or have the potential to produce, an explosive atmosphere. Examples include places where production activities create or release flammable gases or vapour, such as paint spraying, or in factories handling fine organic dusts such as grain flour or wood.
March 2011 | PULS UK Powers the UK's National Synchrotron Facility
Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron facility, has chosen PULS power supplies to provide power for ten advanced ‘beamlines’ to be built at Harwell in Oxfordshire during the next six years.
This is the latest phase of Diamond’s development and is planned to bring the total number of beamlines in operation to 32 by 2017.
PULS UK has been involved in the project since 2004 when there was a requirement for a high-reliability Din Rail power supply to deliver power to 600 corrector units. Beamlines generate brilliant beams of light from infrared to X-rays and are used for a wide range of scientific and industrial research disciplines including structural biology, physics, chemistry, materials science and environmental sciences.
The technology allows scientists to study objects such as molecules and atoms which are too small to be viewed using optical microscopes. PULS power supplies provide 24v n+1 high-reliability control power to the large numbers of diverse pieces of equipment that go together to create a beamline.
These are used to provide control, protection and instrumentation for various applications that make up a large part of the 22 beamlines’ control structure. As well as this, they also provide bulk DC power for the 700 steering power supplies used to trim the electron beam around the ring as they travel at speeds approaching the speed of light. Colin Abraham, Senior Power Supply Technician at Diamond Light said, “We applied rigorous cost testing and performance criteria to a number of manufacturers’ products before making a decision to use PULS power supplies. They were chosen because they met our stringent selection criteria.”
February 2011 | PULS UK Launches New 500W DC/DC Down Converter
PULS UK has announced the launch of the YD 25.241, a non-isolated step down DC/DC converter that has the ability to convert input voltages to pre-settable output voltages and also limit the current from 25A to 7A. With an input voltage range between 14 and 32 volts, the new device should prove particularly useful in applications where non-standard output voltages are required in a range from 3.3V. As a step down converter the output voltage must be V in less 1.5V. The new device provides an output of up to 500W and can be used with battery or bus systems.
A further use may be as a current limit device to protect the 24V bus.
At present linear regulators are commonly used to reduce DC supply voltages, but these operate by bleeding off excess power as heat and therefore waste a considerable amount of energy. The advanced technology used in the PULS YD25.241 delivers much greater levels of efficiency and also dramatically reduces the heat generated within the host device.
Although only positive output voltages are possible, the unit is ideal for non-standard voltages below 26.5V, or where an intermediate (e.g. 12 volts) bus is required. The unit has self adjusting over voltage protection, active inrush current limitation and reverse input polarity protection.
As with all PULS products the YD25.241 is DIN-rail mountable making installation simple and quick and at only 32mm x 124mm x 107mm is ideal for both new build and retro fitting.
January 2011 | January 2011- PULS launch Super-Slim Power Supply
Leading manufacturer PULS UK has announced the launch of a new super-slim 24V 30W unit to complement its range of high efficiency DIN Rail power supplies.
The new MiniLine 30 measures a diminutive 22.5x75x91mm: 50% smaller than PULS’s standard ML30 unit.
PULS claims efficiency of up to 89.4% with full power operation available from a chilly -10°C up to a sizzling +60°C and <0.4W no-load losses.
The MiniLine 30’s small size is matched by its price which is expected to be about 30% lower than the standard unit.
PULS UK’s Managing Director Harry Moore said, “The new ML30 is one of the smallest 30W units on the market and with over 89% efficiency it’s also one of the greenest. Also, using our advanced technology we’ve been able to reduce production costs without compromising quality or reliability, so overall the MiniLine 30 is a very attractive option for our customers.”