Some of you may think I changed my mind and decided to blog about old rock bands, AC-DC being one of my favorite old time rock bands.
But not the case! As more power is consumed in our digital world there is more talk of delivering higher voltage DC current instead of AC. So now connector suppliers are being asked about high voltage DC connectors.
I have been asking around about what we would do differently when designing a power connector for higher DC voltage rather than AC. The first place to look for me was UL 60950, which offers guidelines for creep and clearance as voltages are elevated. Nothing there speaks specifically to high voltage DC.
Most folks agree. It doesn’t matter if it is AC or DC voltage, higher voltages in either current require the same adherence to strict guidelines for circuit isolation and safety. One comment I heard was that you might expect slightly higher temperatures with direct current. But we’d like to hear from folks who have ideas on features that might be unique to a higher direct current connector, like 350 volts
rpercifield on said:
One of the most important issues will be electromigration. We see it in our DC applications all the time. We even pulse DC signals when possible to reduce its effects. In an indoor setting with varying humidity and airborne chemicals the condensing moisture could contain very high ph levels like from a dishwasher, or acidic compounds like acetic acid used in cooking and cleaning.
Tinned connections without lead as a component of the alloy will also be problematic for dendrite growth. Large DC potentials mean that the electric field effects will be a dominate issue in these connections. Hopefully, a well engineered, and fault tolerant system will be developed to address all of the concerns for this distribution system.
effonafrakS on said:
Recently looked the thread. Good thread! St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants