The testing technology division of REO has developed the REOLAB 220, a three-phase AC high current power supply for testing laboratories. The devices can supply voltages of up to 10 V and currents of up to 10kA (10,000 amps), depending on customer requirements. REO supplies the REOLAB 220 devices to testing and quality assurance laboratories around the world.
The REOLAB 220 offers several advantages for testing power supplies for high currents and low voltages. The device can quickly regulate voltage fluctuations, and the current setpoints can be adjusted either manually or automatically. This is done with a clean, sinusoidal output current over the entire adjustment range.
High current AC is often used to test fuses, cables, terminals, and other connections where testing with rated current and voltage is difficult or unnecessary. By reducing the voltage, the current can be increased at a certain power, which allows greater flexibility in performing the tests. Safety is ensured because the test voltage is usually below 50 V and is isolated from the mains by the use of a step-down isolation transformer.
The testing of fuses often requires that they be operated at a specific current with a deviation within acceptable limits. However, with a fixed power supply, fluctuations can occur due to temperature, load regulation, and input voltage. If the current is not automatically adjusted to compensate for these fluctuations, it may mean that lengthy burn-in or soak tests have to be repeated. The REOLAB 220 can help test labs avoid this. REO products can be set to a setpoint or desired power via a potentiometer or even a fieldbus and regulate around this value regardless of changing load or input conditions.
REO offers both the basic system and a complete, turnkey package for integration into a quality assurance system. The offer is not limited to high current AC. High voltages up to 8 kV with a maximum power of 1 MV or 800 kW can also be supplied for DC systems.
