The electric vehicle (EV) industry is undergoing substantial growth in part due to the U.S. government's Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes billions of dollars in EV incentives. The increased demand for EVs is also creating the need for charging ports, wall box chargers and often new building construction. That's why it's usually important to implement an auxiliary AC-DC power supply in charging stations in fixed installations subject to the International Electrotechnical Commission's OVC III overvoltage requirements.
This blog post — the third in our series on OVC III power supplies — will review the advantages an OVC III-compliant AC-DC power supply offers designers.
The Benefits of OVC III Products
Polytron Devices' PFEV family is a good example of the exceptional equipment protection and high performance that OVC III AC-DC power supplies can offer. Some of the advantages that make OVC III power modules an attractive choice include:
- Stricter safety requirements. The OVC II requirement applies to consumer-facing appliances or electronics connected to mains power that have lower transient voltages due to effects from the wiring circuits. OVC III protects against higher transient amplitudes and inrush currents.
- Better isolation characteristics. PFEV OVC III AC-DC power supplies are designed with more distance between the primary and secondary side to provide greater defense against transient voltages. This distance exceeds that of typical ITE power supplies and even some medical power supplies.
- Higher dielectric withstand. These power supplies also meet a 4,300V AC hi-pot requirement versus ITE (3 KV AC) and medical (4 KV AC).
- Greater creepage distance. The PFEV family's creepage distance is greater than 9.5 millimeters — more than ITE power supplies' four- to six-millimeter creepage and the nine-millimeter medical power supply requirements.
- Excellent power density, efficiency and heat dissipation. PFEV OVC III AC-DC power supplies boast a high power density in a smaller form factor. For example, these supplies integrate a low core-loss transformer and lower on resistance MOSFET with smaller packaging. The result: exceptional use of internal space for greater heat dissipation and up to 93.5 percent efficiency.
Polytron PFEV OVC III AC-DC power modules are available in five different outputs, ranging from 20 to 150 watts. They feature Isolation Class II-insulated construction and accept a universal input range of 90 to 264V AC. Additional features include:
- Remote ON/OFF control.
- Adjustable output voltage.
- No-load power consumption is <0.10W (<0.15W for the PFEV150).
- EMC compliant with external components.
Equipment Protection Plus Exceptional Performance
When designing a fixed-installation EV charging station, be sure to take a close look at auxiliary AC-DC power supplies, along with their safeguards and features. The PFEV family provides an exceptional combination of performance benefits — plus the peace of mind that comes from overvoltage protection and OVC III compliance. Be sure to talk to our sales experts to help determine the PFEV AC-DC power module for your installation.
For more information about PFEV AC-DC power modules for EV charging applications, visit our product page.