Designed to power subsea equipment such as oil and gas monitoring and control systems located on the seabed, and connected from a high-voltage AC or DC power supply, Powerbox's PRBX VB410-380 power solution delivers 48Vdc with exceptional durability and reliability. The unit comprises a pre-phase and sub-phase converter with redundant power modules, and for monitoring and control, a complete set of interfaces and communication devices.
Industrial applications such as offshore oil and gas operations or long-distance transmission cables require highly specific power solutions to supply a subset of electronic equipment operating 24/7 without downtime, and where maintenance is either very costly or simply not an option. These applications are typically powered from land or a technology platform generator via a high-voltage line, which, depending on the power station, may be AC or DC within the range of 300 to 900VAC, or 400 to 1500VDC. Ultimately, they require an intermediate bus voltage of 48V DC to power the electronic equipment. The outputs must be capable of operating in parallel to increase power or provide redundancy.
Equipment used in extreme environments, such as the seabed, must be designed with very high durability and reliability and capable of operating within a temperature range of -25 to +80°C without drift, using conduction cooling. Electronic equipment for underwater applications is often housed within a narrow, tubular enclosure attached to the cable. The Powerbox PRBX VB410-380 power supply is designed to ensure maximum isolation between the high-voltage input and low-voltage output, while providing sufficient physical isolation between the various components to allow for tight integration.
“Powering extreme applications such as underwater ones is always a challenge for designers. But by developing standardized and easily reusable subsystems, such as the VB410-380, we have shortened the design cycle and time to market for our customers,” said Patrick Le Fèvre, Head of Marketing and Communications at Powerbox. “Expanding sales opportunities, its design philosophy is also highly suitable for other applications such as the chemical industry and in very restricted areas where human intervention is complicated and risky.”
Using an advanced switching topology, the overall system efficiency (high-voltage input to low-voltage output) exceeds 85%, which is 10% higher than the previous generation of similar products. The PRBX VB410-380 is designed and optimized to conduct heat from the heat sinks to the aluminum chassis, reducing the possibility of internal heat sources and contributing to higher reliability.
The VB410 primary module converts line voltage to an internal 380VDC. It includes a Power Factor Correction (PFC) system and an RS-232 communication bus for network administrator monitoring of the power unit. The module is designed with an open inrush current topology, effectively reducing spikes on the main line and minimizing stress on the components.
The PRBX VB380's secondary stage includes four independent output modules, each delivering 95W (48V/2A). Each output has its own current limiting capability and an integrated digital controller, used to monitor voltage and current via a CAN bus. Each output can be controlled ON/OFF or configured for redundancy. The CAN bus is also used for diagnostic and predictive actions (e.g., for powering down modules when peak power is not required).
Designed to meet the requirements of specific systems, the Powerbox PRBX VB410-380 complies with all safety, EMI, and other system-relevant regulations.
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