The material is key: Low-loss inductive components for solar power inverters
SMP chokes for inverters in photovoltaic systems.
Graben-Neudorf, Germany, February 2010. SMP Sintermetalle Prometheus (SMP) is presenting chokes for inverters in photovoltaic systems at this year's Intersolar trade show in Munich this June. These inductive components feature low losses, very low stray fields and a highly compact design, which significantly increases the chokes' - and therefore the inverters' - energy efficiency. SMP uses core materials made of powder composites with low magnetostriction that have been purpose-designed specifically for this application.
A photovoltaic inverter converts the direct current output from the solar cells into alternating current before it is fed into the mains grid. To be able to modulate current with as close to sinusoidal a waveform as possible, so-called filters, consisting of capacitors and filter chokes, are required. For this purpose, SMP has developed high-performance, low-loss chokes that meet the requirement for solar power inverters with an ever increasing efficiency.
The SMP-developed materials used have low magnetostriction and exceptionally low eddy current and hysteresis losses, making the inverters in which they are used highly efficient. Their encapsulated design ensures that the power converters emit only low-intensity stray fields - another requirement for chokes for solar power inverters because it allows other components to be placed in close proximity to the choke without running a risk of magnetic interaction. Compact choke design is another important aspect. SMP's chokes occupy 25 percent less space than conventional designs. In addition, the chokes operate extremely quietly, which allows their use in residential areas.
For use in wind turbines, railway engineering, drives, power electronics, power generation, and instrumentation and control, SMP supplies inductive components for frequencies up to 200 kHz and current ratings up to 1000 amperes. Depending on their application, they are constructed either as single-conductor chokes for high-current applications, single-phase individual chokes, three-phase choke modules or LC filters. These components offer a high energy storage capacity in a compact and cost-conscious design as well as reduced losses and good EMC characteristics. SMP manufactures all components to customer specifications using in-house developed powder composites. All products are RoHS- and REACH-compliant and the materials used are UL-listed. To allow for a wide range of requirements, components can be made to all common international standards.
SMP at Intersolar 2010, 9 to 11 June 2010, Neue Messe München, Munich, Germany:
Hall B3, Stand 733
Company information:
SMP Sintermetalle Prometheus GmbH & Co KG develops and manufactures inductive components and magnetically soft materials, cores and mouldings. Based in Graben-Neudorf near Karlsruhe, Germany, the company was founded in 1982 by Vasilios Gemenetzis and today employs 180 people. Research and development have been key aspects of the company's philosophy ever since its foundation. SMP's product range includes low-loss inductive custom components based on in-house-developed powder composites, such as filter, commutating, step-up converter, power recovery and single-conductor chokes. Many of its products are used in the railway industry. The market for inverters for photovoltaic systems that feed solar energy into the electricity grid and for converters for wind turbines is also experiencing strong growth. Serving customers throughout the world, SMP has become one of the key global suppliers of magnetically soft materials for industrial applications.
Contact:
SMP Sintermetalle Prometheus GmbH & Co KG
Ottostraße 4
D-76676 Graben-Neudorf, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)7255 716 0
Fax: +49 (0)7255 716 160
E-Mail: info@smp.de
Internet: www.smp.de
PR Contact:
TPR International
Christiane Tupac-Yupanqui
Hermann-Löns-Weg 57
D-69207 Sandhausen, Germany
Tel.: +49 6224 172751
Fax: +49 6224 172752
E-Mail: c.tupac@tradepressrelations.com
Internet: www.tradepressrelations.com
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