DC grids in industry
The forward-thinking DC technology at Phoenix Contact enables sustainable and regenerative energy feed-in, storage, and distribution. Discover our DC solutions for safe DC microgrid applications.
Innovative DC technology for more sustainability right now
Sustainability is more than a buzzword – it has always been our mission.
Join Phoenix Contact on the way to a world with renewable energy that is efficiently stored and distributed. This will make electrical energy available for use anytime, anywhere. This is why at Phoenix Contact, we focus on concepts and solutions for the safe use of DC technology in microgrids.
Sustainability starts with the right use of DC technology.
Direct current – the industrial energy system of the future?
From generation to storage and supply
In today’s world, most end devices are already powered by direct current (DC). Both charging stations and electric drives in industrial environments are operated with direct current generated from alternating current. For this reason, various companies working on the DC-INDUSTRIE and DC-INDUSTRIE 2 project researched an integrated, DC-based smart grid.
The idea is that the direct current generated by renewable energy sources directly supplies the loads in the grid – such as machines, motors, and conveyor belts – with electricity without conversion losses.
Due to networking in the DC grid, it is also possible to feed the braking energy of a system back into the grid as electrical power. Surpluses produced are collected in energy storage systems and fed back into the grid when necessary. This reduces the feed-in power by up to 80%. In addition, both the peak load and the load on the public grid can be reduced.
Advantages of a DC grid
Increased energy efficiency through energy recovery, the conversion-free use of renewable energy, and energy storage
Resource optimization through up to 55% less copper consumption, reduced equipment costs, and smaller footprints
Avoidance of production downtime due to failures in the supply network
Basis for the intelligent control of energy flows
The DC grid in industry at a glance
Solar power
Photovoltaic systems are important generators of renewable energy. They produce direct current and can therefore be integrated efficiently into a DC grid without the need for conversion to AC. We will be happy to advise you on all aspects of feed-in management, photovoltaic applications, and surge protection for rooftop PV systems.
The energy from wind turbine generators can be fed into a DC grid from the DC intermediate circuit using DC/DC converters. Coupling via an AC power grid is no longer necessary.
Find our solutions for wind turbine generators, modular condition monitoring, and lightning current measurement here.
The bidirectional connection of e-charging stations to a DC grid enables vehicle batteries to be charged and also used as energy storage at short notice.
As a manufacturer of DC charging technology, Phoenix Contact supplies components for the development and installation of DC charging stations for e-vehicles. Find out now about DC charging cables, DC charging controllers, and DC power electronics.
Energy surplus from solar plants and wind turbine generators can be used efficiently through electrolysis to produce fuels (power-to-fuel), hydrogen and methane (power-to-gas), ammonia and methanol (power-to-liquid), or other chemicals. These substances are in turn used to generate electrical energy and thus take on the role of energy storage. Energy storage systems ensure stability in DC grids. Electrolysis is also based on direct current, which makes it expedient to integrate power-to-X systems into a DC grid.
Find out now about components for monitoring, automating, and digitalizing electrolysis.
Many office communication devices, such as PCs and displays, as well as LED lighting technology, require DC voltage internally. Power supply units with rectification and DC intermediate circuits are required to connect these loads to an AC power grid. However, if these loads are integrated into a DC grid, a significant part of the input circuit of the power supply units can be saved. This saves on components, weight, and volume.
Robots and conveyor belts
DC motors are considered as drives in DC grids. However, the three-phase motors that were previously used can also be integrated efficiently into a DC grid through the DC intermediate circuit in frequency converters. This reduces peak loads, particularly in the case of powerful robots and conveyor belts. In addition, the braking energy in a DC grid can be recovered efficiently by recuperation.
Energy storage systems
Battery storage systems are used for grid support in DC grids. Excess energy can be stored and made available when required. By integrating energy storage systems, peak loads when starting up large machines, for example, are also reduced and the public supply network is relieved.
We will show you innovative solutions for energy storage systems.
With a bidirectional connection to the AC grid, it is possible to feed in power from the AC power grid to the DC grid, and to feed excess energy from the DC grid into the public supply network.
Grid management
Efficient grid management enables the intelligent control of energy flows. By analyzing data, bottlenecks can be identified and avoided. This helps to ensure optimum use of the available energy.
We trust in DC grids
Phoenix Contact is an expert partner for the use of DC grids in industry
As one of 39 partners from industry and research, we were also part of ZVEI’s DC-INDUSTRIE 2 research project, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Naturally, Phoenix Contact is also involved in the direct successor project, the ODCA (Open Direct Current Alliance).
With regard to the necessary energy revolution in industrial production and the associated maximum use of renewable energy, the working group has set itself the goal of supplying production plants with direct current in an efficient, safe, and robust manner.
Phoenix Contact is involved in national and international task forces and is conducting intensive research on the use of industrial DC grids in the field of factory automation with a focus on future-proof electrical installations.
One of the central topics that Phoenix Contact is dealing with, for example, is the avoidance of electric arcs in the DC connector sector.
From theory to practice
Phoenix Contact is going even further, however, because research alone is not enough for us. As an innovation leader and expert in electrical installation, we wanted to take the first step, be present, gain experience, and solve problems.
This is why we built the new Building 60, which has its own DC grid, on our campus. Naturally, we are trusting in our own products and developing further DC-capable components as part of the project.
Direct current empowering carbon-neutral production
Building 60 – an electrifying example of a DC grid
The new Building 60 in Blomberg also has its own industrial DC grid and fully exploits the potential of renewable energy forms.
