ADB SAFEGATE’s latest power solution cuts total costs of airfield lighting for airports

Small size and high energy efficiency come together in the ADB SAFEGATE Power HF Constant Current Regulator (CCR) to cut the capital and operational costs of airfield ground lighting (AGL). Shown at inter airport Europe 2017, (Munich, 10-13 October), the Power HF range uses innovative transistor technology* to achieve its compact size. Three or more Power HF units can fit in the same space as a single conventional 6.6A CCR. This reduces overall CCR substation size and simplifies installation and maintenance**. The transistor technology also delivers dynamic and precise power regulation that boosts energy efficiency by up to 30%, reducing the total cost of ownership of airfield ground lighting still further.

“The Power HF is part of the ADB SAFEGATE intelligent AGL solution. It has been designed to meet the top priority needs of airports for their lighting installations, which in an industry survey, airports told us were energy efficiency and product size. The solution is suitable for existing lighting installations and can support an airport’s ambitions to upgrade to LED for even greater energy savings,” says Christian Onselaere, CEO, ADB SAFEGATE.

Suitable for powering both conventional and LED lighting circuits, Power HF uses compact power modules weighing just 12 -20 kg. This modular electrical and mechanical design*** makes it easy to integrate with new and existing AGL systems at airports large and small. Multiple units can be assembled to create the required CCR rating and scale to any size of installation.

The modules are synchronized to deliver the smoothest possible sine wave output, and the highest energy efficiency under changing load conditions or brightness settings. New configuration possibilities also ensure easy and cost-effective maintenance.

Notes:

* Innovative transistor technology: Unlike conventional airfield lighting CCRs with thyristors, the Power HF CCR uses transistor technology from ADB SAFEGATE’s widely proven VIS and CRE ranges. This runs pulse width modulation (PWM) controlled by fast digital signal processing (DSP) to deliver a full sinusoidal wave output with low harmonic distortion and high input Power Factor (PF) under different load conditions and brightness steps.

** Easy and cost-effective maintenance: If a module becomes defective, it can be taken out and replaced easily and quickly, avoiding the costly and lengthy downtime that faults in conventional, large stand-alone systems can create. Spare parts are also simplified and can be reduced, saving further costs. The Power HF also reacts much faster to load change which results in lower electrical stress on cables, connectors, transformers and other downstream equipment for longer life and lower maintenance costs.

*** Electrical and mechanical modularity: A single CCR unit could have a standard power module with a 2.5 kVA or a 5 kVA power rating using the same components. Multiple power modules can be added to build a CCR of up to 30 kVA. Mechanically, each unit is uniform, and multiple layers (each being one unit) can be added easily depending on the power requirement. These multiple layers are also used to house the ILCMS master or to act as a circuit selector cabinet.