Energy handling for drives

Current-based peak load reduction is the highlight function of the modular active energy management system Pxt from Michael Koch GmbH. But as a supplement to the electric drive, it can do much more: recuperate energy and thus increase efficiency, provide energy as a UPS, protect electronics and extend service life, protect the power grid, in short: have a lot of positive effect. From small to several hundred kilowatts of power, from 20 to several hundred amperes of current, from a few kilojoules to several megajoules of energy – the power range is huge, and so are the possible applications.

Koch's Pxt active energy management system has three essential components: electronic devices, storage units and a small, intelligent box. The electronic devices push the energy highly dynamically and reliably either from the drive to the storage units, for example when recuperating braking energy, or vice versa, for example in the event of a voltage interruption. Two types are available: PxtFX with integrated electrolytic capacitors and 40 amperes maximum current, and PxtRX in particular for double-layer capacitor modules with a maximum of 60 amperes. Storage units are either further electrolytic capacitors, smartly packaged as PxtEX, or double-layer capacitor modules released by Koch. And then there's the little smart box called PxtMX, which allows the system to be integrated into the world of fieldbuses and/or also allows peak load reduction or input current limiting of the drive via plug-and-play.

Plugged onto an electronic device of the Pxt family, the supplied current measuring sensors for the three phases and the ampere-precise maximum value for the mains current are entered and it is already ensured that the energy required for load peaks of the machine comes from the active energy management system and not from the mains. The measuring and thus control range of the PxtMX extends to over 100 amperes. Many applications with lower RMS current values can be brought below the rated current limits of the fuses to the power grid, e.g. of 63 or 32 amps, with its help and the connected Pxt system. Regardless of the size of the Pxt system, peak load reduction using PxtMX remains as simple as ever. The application is visualized in real time via the PxtTerminal tool, through which all Pxt electronic devices can be parameterized and monitored.