Alencon releases fused electrical disconnect unit to expand DC:DC interconnection options

Alencon Systems has launched a new installation option for its BOSS and SPOT lines of galvanically isolated DC:DC converters — the FEED. The FEED, which stands for fused electrical disconnect, is an integrated unit installed with a SPOT or BOSS device in the factory. The FEED allows for a variety of interconnection and fusing options for Alencon’s DC:DC products.

The FEED offers end users supreme flexibility in deploying Alencon’s products. The FEED allows the user to specify the type of terminations on both the input and output of the device, including either screw terminals or PV connectors, appropriately rated disconnects and fuses as well as ground fault indication and fusing. The FEED has been specifically designed to simplify the deployment of Alencon devices across a broad variety of applications including repowering aged PV systems, DC coupling solar plus storage, EV charging and integration with fuel cells, among others.

“The rapid expansion of DC sources and loads such as solar, battery energy storage, electric vehicles and fuel cells, among others, is creating a real paradigm in power conversion. For the first time in the history power conversion the electrification sector is demanding flexible, safe, reliable and scalable high power, high voltage DC:DC power conversion solutions, not just DC:AC, AC: DC or AC:AC,” said Alencon Systems president Hanan Fishman.

“The FEED is a fantastic tool for easily and safely integrating Alencon’s unique DC:DC platforms across a broad range of high power, high voltage DC applications. It can easily be adapted for applications requiring uni-directional power flow using the SPOT platform or applications requiring bi-directional charge and discharge of batteries using the BOSS platform.”

When paired with the SPOT, Alencon’s uni-directional DC:DC platform, the FEED can greatly simplify the deployment of a variety of applications. For repowering, the FEED easily allows the SPOT to be installed after a plant’s existing combiner boxes, making tasks such as replacing failed 600-volt PV inverters much less labor intensive and thus far more cost effective. The FEED can be used to place numerous SPOT units in parallel on the same DC bus either outdoors or inside the SPOT BOX. Additionally, the FEED is great solution for building safe and reliable EV fast charging solutions. As the FEED offers both inputs and outputs from either screw terminals or PV connectors, it can easily be paired with virtually any string or central inverter topology.

When paired with the BOSS — Alencon’s bi-directional DC:DC platform, the FEED is an excellent tool for use with battery energy storage applications. The FEED’s unique connector and fusing optionality is particularly helpful when DC coupling large scale battery energy storage with string inverters, a technique growing in popularity for commercial and industrial (C&I) and distributed generation (DG) projects ranging in size from 500 KW to 10 MW. The FEED can be used when installing BOSS units inside a battery container and charging and discharging batteries at the rack level or when placing BOSS units in parallel on the same DC bus inside a battery container, outdoors or inside the BOSS BOX.

News item from Alencon Systems

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/09/alencon-released-fused-electrical-disconnect-feed/