Electric Power for Nearly Every Purpose

March 28, 2024

The lifeblood of all services performed at Elite is electrical power.  It runs our lab equipment and energizes the products we test.     

Given the growing thirst for electric power and the expanding range of DC and AC power conditions, an important first step when preparing to test at Elite is to determine the electric services and specialty power equipment needed for the job.  In this article we review the lineup of AC services available to support client testing at Elite’s facilities.

Elite’s Primary Wired AC Power

Each of the three buildings on Elite’s laboratory campus are configured with a range of permanently wired electric power drops.  These power connections are used to run clients’ products during testing and to power support equipment like chillers, hydraulic carts, load banks, EV chargers, and specialty power supplies. The most commonly available primary services permanently wired throughout our lab are the following: 

• 480V/60Hz/3-ph (5-Wire WYE) at 60A/phase.  
• 240V/60Hz/3ph (5-Wire Delta) at 30A/phase
• 208V/60Hz/3ph (5-Wire WYE) at 60A/phase.  
• 120V/60Hz/20A outlets are available at any test and inside our EMC chambers.   

Special Purpose AC Wired Power 

For applications that need higher voltage, current, or specialty AC power, several Elite’s test stations and chambers are configured for enhanced services.  Tests that demand these utilities are scheduled in the vicinity where these specialized power drops are located. 

• 480VAC-200amps filtered power is available at Elite’s Room #16. 
• 200amps 480V/60Hz/3-ph (5-Wire WYE) is available at 3 Elite drop locations. 
• Temporary RF filters are configurable at any of our EMC chambers where specialty filtered service is required. 
• 115VAC/400Hz/3-ph, 30amps is available in 7 EMC chamber locations and 6 other lab and environmental test locations.   

AC Programmable Power Supplies

When testing demands specialized or unique power conditions, we turn to AC programmable power supplies to meet the need.  Elite’s standalone supplies can be moved directly to any of the stations where testing is being performed and provide steady state or transient conditions as specified for the test.   

Programmable AC power supplies are required to perform power input testing to industry standards like DO-160 Section 16, MIL-HDBK-704, and IEC 61000-4-11.  Each of these specifications define various input AC power conditions to test the unit’s performance when the power anomaly is applied. The tests include changes in frequency, voltage, current, and phase.  They also require combinations of interrupts, surges, sags, and other transient conditions that may be present on an AC mains supply. 

Elite has an extensive range of specialized AC supplies, but our largest include the following:

AC Transformers and Variacs

Elite has a series of AC transformers to configure power levels required for specialty applications. These include step-up, step-down, and isolation transformers. In addition, they convert AC power between WYE and Delta arrangements. 

• 70kVA, Pri.(480V) Delta; Sec.(240V) Delta
• 30kVA, Pri. (208V) Delta; Sec. (480V) WYE
• 9kVA,  Pri. (240V); Sec. (208V) 

Elite also has variable AC transformers, called Variacs, that provide fully adjustable AC mains voltage.  AC Voltages can be dialed to a specified value as required for testing. 

Depending on our clients’ needs and to meet the test specifications defined for the product, Elite can provide an extensive range of AC Mains supply and specialized AC transient test equipment.  For more information on Elite’s services, contact an Elite application engineer today to review your project.  

Next month, we will describe the types and range of DC power supplies available to test your products. Stay tuned!