Wednesday 5 September 2018

Benefits Of A High Voltage Contactor

By Robert Hughes


At the end of the 19th century, advances in the semiconductor technology introduced solid state switches. These type of switches replaced the older models that were being used before. Such models included thyratrons, ignitrons, and spark gaps. Before the invention, electronics used older drivers which have since been replaced by TTL input controls that have dramatically improved performance and efficiency. A high voltage contactor has been used a lot in the past few years and there are a lot of details that make them stand out.

The switches have been developed in a way that there is very low input power loss. Power losses have been a major cause for concern when developing switches. These switches are developed with MOSFET technology. This technology involves the use of small total gate charge. This means that losses due to the gate charge, switching frequency, and the drive voltage are very minimal. This is not the case when switches use bipolar transistors such as BJT.

They are reliable for current applications. They offer steady hard saturation even at short-circuit operation. The ability to switch faster enabling them to use smaller inductors in switch mode supplies. This increases overall efficiency. This reliability makes it possible to use these contactors in medical test equipment.

These contactors can be customized in a number of ways to suit where they are being used. The customization is mostly done with the housing and the footprint. Another area that customization can be done is sensitivity. These innovations help the switches to run effectively with the equipment.

The switches are designed to prevent against overload or voltage reversal. Cases of voltage reversal are common and they lead to catastrophic events. The technologies used in these switches make them safe for everyday use. The technologies include MOSFET, IGBT, SCR, and thyristor. With such technology, these contactors are highly recommended.

Little current is required during switching which is essential in preventing heating, especially when handling high loads. This is mostly because the contactors are power controlled. Other contactors require a fair amount of current to switch. This causes a lot of heating when handling a lot of power. This may cause such switches to operate on linear mode because the level of the drain current affects the gate-source voltage. This is not the case with the power switches, level of drain current has no effect on gate-source voltage.

These type of switches ensures that there is a faster switching. This is made possible because the switches are able to handle high frequencies. The faster switching also does not leave a chance for much loss. The transistors are insulated with a thin oxide layer which prevents drawing of current during switching. This advantage has a lot of effect on the overall performance of the contactors and the power losses.

These switches are suitable for both low-power applications and current applications. Their unique features and technology help achieve great results with very minimal risks. They are durable and can survive millions of cycles. The above features are just a few of many that make the switches suitable for day-to-day use. The technology also has a number of limitations. More developments are still being made to ensure that these limitations are dealt with to ensure efficiency in switching.




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