3 Benefits of Mounting a PSU Remotely
Hazardous areas are complicated environments for any installation; extra measures need to be taken in order to establish a safe and efficient lighting installation. One way to increase flexibility in these applications is to choose a luminaires featuring a modular design with a removable PSU (Power Supply Unit) module. In this article, we explore the three biggest benefits;
Ease of access
Luminaires with a modular design and removable PSU modules, such as Raytec’s SPARTAN High Power Flood and Bay, allow the PSU to be mounted remotely, up to 100m away from the main luminaire. All wiring and serviceable parts can be positioned in an easy-to-access location making installation easier, and future maintenance a lot more efficient. Overall, the design facilitates quicker and easier servicing and inspection.
Reduced costs
With easier access comes reduced costs. The largest cost over the lifetime of a luminaire comes from servicing and maintenance, especially with luminaires mounted in difficult to access locations. Improving this access, by mounting the PSU module remotely, reduces time and cost of maintenance. It may mean that specialist equipment, such as cherry pickers or rope access, is no longer required. Speed of maintenance can also be increased, ensuring that illumination can be restored quicker, and downtime reduced, to minimise any disruption to operations. Having a remote PSU provides the ability to reduce costs and provide greater flexibility to specifiers, distributors and end-users.
Lifetime
The weakest link and the part most likely to fail in any LED luminaire will be the electronic power supply (PSU), as a rule of thumb for every 10°C rise in temperature the anticipated lifetime of the PSU will half. The ability to mount the PSU module remotely has particular benefits to installations in hot environments. The PSUs can be placed in a cooler area, ensuring they do not overheat; in turn, this increases the lifetime. Having the PSU module in a cooler area, not only makes maintenance easier, but it also means that maintenance is needed less frequently, creating greater reliability.
An example of this could be on a drilling rig in the Middle East, where temperatures average 50°C during the summer. Locating the PSU module separately, either at a lower level out of the direct sunlight or in a control room, will ensure the PSUs run cooler and provide greater lifetime.
Working on a project which could benefit from this type of installation? Give us a call on +44 (0) 1670 520 055, or email Raytec Global at sales@raytecled.com or Raytec Americas at ussales@raytecled.com.
