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A BRUSA NLG5xx
series battery charger is universal multi-chemistry charging device converting mains AC
power into DC power suitable for charging any type of traction battery. Designed to be
either onboard of battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or in stationary
charging stations. So far there is no battery in existence the BRUSA NLG5xx charger cannot
handle - its unmatched flexibility, safety and open software make it the charger of
choice for many OEMs and for any serious user because despite initial high cost it is wise
investment prolonging life of even more costly modern batteries. There are two base models and two custom models distinguished by different output voltage ranges as shown below in the selection matrix. Each model comes with three cooling options - vertical air blow, horizontal air blow and water cooled. Also NLG503-lite charger is available, which is half of the output power of the NLG5xx but is identical in its functionality. The main target application for it is plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, but it is certainly can be used for pure EVs especially if mains feed id always limited to 120VAC preventing taking full advantage of NLG5xx power capabilities. All featured models are based on resonant switching topology, power factor corrected and fully isolated, meaning there is no galvanic connection between AC mains, traction battery and charger enclosure. Rated AC input voltage is 220VAC single phase, while acceptable AC input voltage range is 120 VAC...240 VAC single phase. Please refer to the AC mains connection User's manual amendment for proper configuration on the input side. The charger is guaranteed to deliver full power into a battery with specified minimum voltage with AC input at least 170VAC. At lower input voltages (120VAC...170VAC the charger still maintains full functionality, however output power is proportionally reduced. This means that, for example, with occasional 120VAC input, charging will take longer, but the charger will work just fine. The rate of the power reduction with lower than rated AC mains input is described on the page 16 of the NLG5 User's Manual. The absolute minimum mains input voltage required for proper operation of NLG5xx is about 90VAC. Because as with any charger the output current is limited at some point, the max output power depends on the output voltage and is guaranteed within specified output voltage range. However, the charger will supply max output current (for given AC mains voltage) and will successfully charge a lower voltage battery. Even the NLG514-xx, the highest output voltage model (360...720VDC nominal output) can charge a single 12V battery! In this case the charger's output has the same limitation for output power and accuracy for very low voltage single battery as for a string of batteries within nominal voltage range. 3 offered options are shown here - top air cooled ( photo 1, photo 2 ), side air cooled (photo 1, photo 2) and water cooled (photo 1, photo 2). All base NLG51x models have guaranteed 3.3 kW nominal charging power and overall cover output voltage range from 130 VDC to 720 VDC (broken into 4 output voltage ranges, see selector guide). The NLG503-lite has 1.6kW output power at nominal 220VAC input. Only one output voltage range 200...520 VDC is available for NLG503-lite; other parameters are the same as for NLG51x-xx series. The NLG51x-xx chargers are stackable, i.e. one or more booster modules can be connected to the base model, respectively increasing total output current and so the output power. Same result can be achieved paralleling charger's inputs and outputs, this is allowed. The total output capability in this case is only limited by the capacity of the AC mains supply. There are three modes of charger operation - autonomous, booster and driven via CAN interface. In autonomous programmable mode the charger operates without external intervention and completes charging on its own. User definable charging profile is stored in the charger's memory and easily can be modified. Charging profiles are stored as files in a host PC and can be downloaded to the charger via RS232 serial interface. The library of charging profiles for the most common battery chemistries, as well as host PC software, comes on included CD-ROM, and free updates are available from manufacturer web site as newer batteries are appearing on the market. The mode of operation (autonomous, CAN or booster) as well as any changes in charging profile can be easily set by user via ChargeStar software available from library page. Chargers provide temperature compensation based on input from up to three temp sensors, optionally expandable to 48 sensors. Also there are means to track amp-hours for precise delivery of predetermined amount of Amp-hours. LED status display allows monitoring charger activity. A selection of high quality accessory cables is offered, and the set of desired cables is specified at the time of placing order. Standard set consists of one mains cable with charger side plug and loose ends, one output battery cable with charger side plug, and 23 pin control interface mating connector. Additional cables can be purchased separately. Each charger also comes with unpopulated mating connector with crimp terminals, DB9 PC interface connector and set of 4 NTC thermistors. Please review Safety bracket attachment User's manual amendment if you plan to install the charger. Chargers are manufactured by one of the best and the most reputable EV components company - BRUSA, in Switzerland. 2 years warranty. The chargers are CE certified and fully qualify for UL approval. BRUSA does not justify approval process expense and will apply for UL listing only if an OEM customer requests it. Because of additional expense, it is a subject of BRUSA deciaion and approval, Please contact MMC for this matter. Reliability and capability to handle any voltage and any battery chemistry as well as extreme flexibility and configurability sets these chargers apart from competition. They are very safe investment: flash upgradable, Ready for practically any battery - existing today or future - BRUSA NLG5xx charger likely the last charger you will ever need. For users of NLG4xx charger used in Solectria Force vehicles: BRUSA has developed special adapter for NLG511-xx charger to be able to directly replace old NLG4. The new NLG5 will plug into existing "black box" in the vehicle. Adapter consists of a PCB with circuitry inverting and conditioning signals to and from the black box and making them compatible with NLG5 levels. The PCB sits in the middle of the charger interface cable. One end of the cable has round connector mating with one on the black box NLG4 use to be plugged to, and the other end has rectangular 23 pin connector plugged into interface connector of a new NLG511. More than 10 years old NLG4 design is outdated and no longer produced nor supported by BRUSA or MMC. |
