Bosch presents new high voltage test rig
Bosch Engineering has developed a High-Voltage Lab Rig (HVLR) that can be used to efficiently test the power electronics of electric vehicles. As the tests can thus be carried out in the high-voltage lab instead of on the test bench, development time and costs are to be reduced.
According to Bosch, the system integrates a high-voltage voltage source and electronic safety functions for the circuit of the component under test in a portable compact control cabinet. Thanks to its modular design, the test system is to be adaptable to the respective customer requirements.
According to Bosch, it will be possible to map up to 1,200 volts at the voltage level. A later extension up to 1,500 volts is possible. In addition, the HVLR can be equipped with various communication interfaces. It is operated via a touch screen mounted on the control cabinet.
“Many of the tests on the power electronics of electric vehicles can therefore be shifted from the test bench to the high-voltage laboratory,” says Andreas Nachreiner, Head of Product Management Business Field eMobility at Bosch Engineering. “This frees up valuable bench capacity for other testing and validation tasks, thereby reducing development time and costs.”
User safety was a key focus during the development of the system. “In the laboratory, a large number of tests have to be carried out directly on the live components of the power electronics,” says Heinz-Georg Schmitz, Director Engineering Mechatronic Solutions. “Any mistakes here are life-threatening.” The protection concept covers potential causes of accidents and reduces the risks when working on the high-voltage circuit.
The safety functions are implemented by a separate unit, the High-Voltage Safety Box (HVSB). It was developed in accordance with DIN EN ISO 13849 and offers, among other things, insulation monitoring, an interlock circuit, integration into a laboratory emergency stop concept and a PLC interface with which the HVLR can be seamlessly integrated into the test automation of the high-voltage laboratory and operated remotely. The High-Voltage Safety Box is included in the scope of delivery of the HVLR, but according to Bosch it is also available as a separate module, for example to retrofit the safety functions and the PLC interface to existing high-voltage voltage sources.
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