Climate change, CO2 neutrality and electromobility are topics that not only move us privately, but also as Weidmüller. That is why we are working intensively on new technologies that contribute to reducing energy consumption and, above all, for implementation in industrial applications.
In this context, DC technology is seen as having great potential for the future. This refers to the use of DC voltage to supply energy to industrial plants, for example to optimise energy efficiency in production, but also to ensure grid quality and security of supply - an important step towards climate-neutral production.
Lower conversion and transport losses, use of recuperation, direct use of renewable energy sources as well as peak power reduction through suitable storage systems
Additional investments for grid filtering and compensation can be omitted and the existing grids are supported and production losses due to grid disturbances areprevented and reduced
Reduction of copper consumption for cables and lower equipment costs and space savings throughElimination of power electronics
Infrastructure for intelligent control of energy flows enables advantages in energy purchasing and supports modular machine concepts
From generation to storage to supply: A DC Microgrid is an independent grid that is connected to the public AC supply grid and contains various DC sectors, i.e. more than one machine. The simplified bidirectionality of DC current make functions such as recuperation possible. This improves the energy efficiency and flexibility of the overall system.
DC Microgrids for production are a crucial element for climate neutrality, energy efficiency and grid quality in industrial automation. That's why the question for us is not whether, but how quickly DC technology will be introduced here.
Fields of application for centralised DC power distribution and processing
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and components for the implementation and commissioning of DC microgrids. These include secure connection technology, solutions for energy distribution and monitoring energy flows as well as decentralised automation tasks. We are DC ready. How about you?
Our new Pre charge units enable controlled, sequential ramp-up of industrial DC Microgrids. Drives, motors, or complex load circuits can be started one after the other to avoid current peaks.
Central pre-charge control of large capacitive network segments to protection units and decentralised pre-charge control for sub-segment maintenance.
Weidmüller is setting a forward-thinking standard with its new DC Innovation Hub in Detmold, designed to bridge technological innovation and hands-on training.
Learn more about the joint work of over 40 partners in the DC-INDUSTRY and DC-INDUSTRY 2 projects, which are developing the basis for a direct current infrastructure in industry.
Find out more about the DKE's standardisation roadmap for direct current in the low-voltage range here.
The DC sector is making an important contribution to the success of the energy transition, and with the ODCA we are bringing the findings and solutions of DC technology to the international market. The ZVEI and companies from industry, academia and research founded an Open Direct Current Alliance.
Olaf Grünberg
