The Dutch inverter manufacturer Mastervolt continues on its quest for quality excellence. The company’s process management system was recently certified according to ISO 9001. Mastervolt also invested into a sophisticated new test laboratory suitable for photovoltaic inverters of up to 50kW. The new lab also contains facilities to test off-grid power supply systems and diesel gensets for yachts from Mastervolt’s Marine product range.
In the lab, the behaviour of large photovoltaic arrays is simulated, and it provides a 90kW simulated power grid. A large climatic chamber creates extreme ambient conditions with relative humidity levels up to 99% and temperatures between -85°C and 180°C. This allows to test both the input and output characteristics of inverters under all environmental conditions.
“The ISO 9001 certification and the new test laboratory are central pillars of our quality and reliability programme. The lab allows us to thoroughly test new devices under all conceivable ambient conditions. This is important for us because Mastervolt stands for devices and components with outstanding reliability” says Jan Jouke Bootsma, Quality Manager at Mastervolt. Mastervolt’s stand-alone power supply systems are used in vehicles worldwide, where they have to withstand high humidity, extreme temperatures, vibration and dust.
State-of-the-art equipment such as an Ametek High Power AC Source are used for simulations and testing. The RS90-SNK can exactly simulate 3-phase AC utility grids, including peak loads and grid failures that are to be expected in a real-life environment. True to its renewable energy mission, Mastervolt opted for the energy-efficient version of the RS90, which regenerates more than 80% of the power.
The new lab also boasts three 32kW Regatron 1000VDC Sources to simulate the behaviour of solar cells under many different conditions, from sunrise to sunset, on cloudy days or under partial shading. Measurement data are recorded by a Yokogawa Power Analyser, which measures power conversion efficiency down to a hundredth of a percent.
