Keysight rolls out photovoltaic array simulators

Keysight Technologies Inc. has announced a couple of photovoltaic (PV) array simulators, the N8937APV and N8957APV, to help engineers develop, verify and maximise the performance of inverter maximum power point tracking algorithms and circuits.

According to the company, engineers can use the Keysight N8937APV and N8957APV PV array simulators in a laboratory or on a manufacturing line to simulate the output characteristics of a real-world PV array. The N8937/57APV PV array simulators are single-output, programmable DC power sources that can quickly simulate I-V curve characteristics under different environmental conditions (temperature, irradiance, age, cell technology and more), enabling engineers to quickly and comprehensively test their inverters.

N8937APV

The N8937/57APV PV array simulators promise stable output power, built-in voltage and current measurements and autoranging output voltage and current from 500 to 1.5kV and 10A to 30A. The autoranging capability makes the units more flexible than traditional rectangular-output power supplies because they expand the power curve to provide more voltage and current combinations, Keysight said.

In addition to using the N8937/57APV units to simulate PV arrays, engineers can use them for other test and measurement tasks. They provide 15-kW autoranging, programmable DC power for design verification and ATE applications that require just the right amount of performance at an affordable price, the company added. Engineers can easily configure multiple units in parallel to create a single power supply that offers more than 90kW.

The N8937/57APV PV array simulators are available. The 208VAC N8937APV and the 400VAC N8957APV are priced at $15,660.