High-voltage DC distribution is key to increased system efficiency and renewable-energy opportunities
by Stephen Oliver, Vice President, VI Chip Product Line, Vendor website, Nov 01 2012
Focus:
400-V dc power distribution systems offer significant improvements in efficiency versus the conventional 100- to 200-V ac systems used in data centers and the 48-V dc systems used in telecom central offices. This 7-page white paper compares these different architectures, explaining how the 400-Vdc systems offer higher efficiency, fewer power conversion stages, and greater reliability plus other benefits. With that as background, the paper describes the application of Vicor’s VI Chip bus converter module (BCM) and buck-boost regulator module (a.k.a. the equalizer) to step down the 400-V dc bus to 48 V dc with high efficiency. Efficient benefits are described and different implementations of the 400-V dc power distribution architecture are presented to show how the Vicor technology can be phased in over time in a cost-effective way. Then, a working model of a 400-Vdc system is presented to demonstrate feasibility. This paper also includes some brief historical discussion on the evolution of ac versus dc power distribution systems, the factors that are driving interest in dc systems, and the challenges ahead in implementing these systems.
What you’ll learn:
- How to understand the benefits of 400-Vdc (or 380 V dc) power distribution systems versus 48-V dc (central office) and 100-V to 200-V ac (data center) systems
- How to understand the benefits of Vicor’s bus converters and buck-boost regulators in 400-Vdc power distribution systems
- How to make the transition from 48-Vdc to 400-Vdc power distribution systems with a cost-effective approach
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