Tritium EV Charger Testing Facility
Tritium designs and manufactures advanced and reliable DC fast chargers for electric vehicles. In Nov 2021, Tritium opened a world-class compliance testing facility at the company’s Brisbane headquarters, featuring an EMC testing chamber with one of the highest power test capabilities in the world, along with other key test and certification enablers including thermal chambers for testing in extreme temperatures.
Tritium EV Charger Testing Facility
Tritium designs and manufactures advanced and reliable DC fast chargers for electric vehicles. In Nov 2021, Tritium opened a world-class compliance testing facility at the company’s Brisbane headquarters, featuring an EMC testing chamber with one of the highest power test capabilities in the world, along with other key test and certification enablers including thermal chambers for testing in extreme temperatures.
THE CHALLENGE
Without the benefit of their own EMC testing facilities, EV charger manufacturers across the world need to test & certify their products in publicly accessible EMC testing facilities with advance booking notice. Any subsequent need for re-testing often requires a ‘return to the queue’, which can significantly slow the process to get new technology to market. Tritium decided to build an advanced testing facility which would enable the company to accelerate the testing, prototyping, compliance and certification processes, making it possible to bring products to market in shorter timeframes, rapidly modify its products for customers and develop/certify products with greater cost efficiency. Industry leaders Fuseco & Frankonia were engaged to provide a solution.
THE SOLUTION
The facility features one of the highest power commercially accessible EMC testing chambers in the world. The facility is designed to deliver up to 720kW of regenerative power from its integrated system with fully integrated AC and DC power feeds, ensuring Tritium can test devices that demand very high power levels to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification requirements. The custom-designed chamber features a five-metre turntable with high-power connections, providing Tritium with the ability to test a full high-powered charging system, consisting of the charger itself and an accompanying power cabinet. The Fuseco EMC team project managed the build and the world class facility was built in 5 months.
OUTSTANDING CAPABILITIES
The facility also houses two thermal chambers to test equipment in extreme temperatures. The first chamber is designed to test full charging systems, while the second chamber is meant to test components and charger modules. Calibrated to meet IEC and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) regulatory requirements, the thermal chamber for charging systems is expected to enable Tritium to test its products in up to 98% humidity and in temperatures ranging from -40°C (-40°F) to +70°C (+158°F), while the thermal chamber for testing modules and components is capable of producing temperatures ranging from -70°C (-94°F) to +180°C (+356°F). The facility is also capable of IK impact testing, allowing Tritium to test and indicate the degree of protection its products’ electrical enclosures provide against external mechanical impacts.
THE OUTCOME
The new facility has exceeded expectations. “We now have the freedom to test a charger at a moment’s notice and for as long as we need, to ensure our chargers not only meet the thresholds required for compliance but exceed them,” said James Kennedy, Tritium Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder. “We believe that taking away the time constraints of a commercial facility, combined with the ability to test in one of the most powerful and advanced facilities of its kind, will enable us to rapidly create and certify market-ready products more cost-efficiently and to add features and customizations to more effectively meet the needs of our customers.”
- Completely carbon free - no carbon dust
- High absorption capability (30MHz +)
- No aging or drooping problems
- Non-combustible in A2 per DIN 4102/ EN 13501-1
- Weatherproof
- Low ongoing ownership costs
- Highly repeatable performance characteristics
- Non-toxic waste
- Uses nano-thinfilm performance absorber tech
UNIQUE ABSORBER TECHNOLOGY
Since Frankonia introduced Frankosorb® thin-film absorber technology, customers worldwide have appreciated its many unique attributes. It is now regarded as the ultimate solution with more than 20 years of operation without any reported defects, quality losses, or the need to refurbish. Frankosorb® absorber technology is available either as a hybrid solution in combination with ferrite absorbers or as a stand alone pyramid solution with a length up to 2.4m. The most important advantage of the Frankosorb® long pyramid absorbers is the covering of the whole frequency range so that additional expensive ferrite absorbers are unnecessary. FrankoSorb® RF absorbers are non-combustive and are constructed in “thin film” technology which replaces the carbon filled foam absorber technology.