July 6, 2009 – Hitachi America released its RCU Series of regenerative converter units. The RCU Series offers an affordable “green” alternative to traditional dynamic braking (DB) systems. Instead of wasting regenerative energy as heat, the RCU reclaims that energy, converting it into 3-phase alternating current (AC) power. The energy is recycled through the AC line, resulting in increased energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption. In many applications, the amount of energy that can be reclaimed is quite significant, thus providing a measurable return on investment and short pay-back cycle relative to the cost of the RCU.
Furthermore, the waste heat generated by conventional DB often creates the need for additional cooling and air-conditioning, which can be costly. Thus, the elimination of DB waste heat is a secondary benefit of the RCU Series. In this way, incorporating an RCU in the system allows for a smaller cooling system (HVAC), offsetting the up-front cost of the regenerative unit, and additionally, reducing the demands placed on the cooling system. The RCU is simple to install and operate, with only five connections necessary for basic operation. It incorporates LC-filtering to mitigate harmonics and an LED display for monitoring of operation and faults.
The RCU is available in several sizes, and units can be parallel-connected for higher power handling.
