Alternative, Utility and Storage Energy Power Conversion Solutions

Over the coming decades, the power generation industry faces a daunting challenge in meeting global energy needs. Economic development and increased attention to sustainability means the world needs a steady supply of cleaner, reliable power. Schaefer’s designs and manufactures stable and reliable power supplies for alternative, utility and storage energy applications that comply to the high safety standards required in all disciplines of power plants technologies including hydroelectric, wind, solar and thermal power plants such as nuclear or combustion plants. Our unique design and manufacturing processes enable the flexibility of conversion from input to output over a wide voltage range and we support custom solutions that require thousands of AC or DC volts.

From our Active Harmonic Filters (reducing harmonics, rebuilding distorted three phase currents, correcting Power Factor, and balancing 3-phase currents), Energy Storage Systems to our PowerStack Series @ 97% Efficiency (400Kw to 10MW+) our robust designs ensure long-life reliable operation in even the most demanding power plant conditions as well as industrial and military applications.

Schaefer is a reliable supplier in the power generation market by offering durable systems to meet client specific parameters.

  • Bidirectional units/systems are designed with the latest switching technologies (Newest IGBT’s to Silicon Carbide)
  • MPPTs easily paralleled for higher power photo voltaic applications
  • Buck, boost, or isolated topology
  • DC/DC, DC/AC, AC/DC or AC/AC
  • Custom solutions, typically with no NRE
  • Ultra-wide input ranges to handle extremes, including the 74VDC bus, even during start-up conditions
  • High efficiency for lower cost of ownership
  • Hermetically sealed solutions
  • High efficiency power conversion Units/systems (97% efficiency on the PowerStack series)
  • Natural convection or water-cooled solutions
  • Extra rugged construction for use in the most demanding and harsh conditions
  • Redundant configurations for longer life operation in critical applications
  • Ultra-wide temperature ranges
  • Reverse polarity protection option
  • Lightweight, high power density for smaller package designs or compact portable applications

To ensure a high reliability and quality of our power supplies, they have to pass through internal testing for high industrial requirements. Furthermore, they can be tested against increased shock and vibration resistance, as well as extreme environmental conditions. All components are selected according to criteria of durability, availability and performance. According to customer requirements national and international standards can be tested in cooperation with external laboratories.

  • EN 50178
  • EN 60664-1
  • EN 60950-1
  • EN 61000-6-2
  • EN 61000-6-4
  • EN 55011 / EN 55022 class A
  • EN 61140

By default, all devices are designed with electronic current limiting, overvoltage protection and continuous short circuit protection. Optionally, the modules can be expanded as follows:

  • Inrush current limiting
  • Reverse polarity protection for DC input
  • Decoupling diode for redundant / parallel operation
  • Active current sharing for parallel operation
  • Hot-pluggable solutions
  • Monitoring of input and output voltage
  • Output programmable
  • Power factor correction (PFC) for single phase input
  • Temperature compensated charging voltage
  • Automatic / manual selection of charging characteristics
  • Remote ON / OFF (inhibit)

By default, all modules will be offered as a 19″ module or 19″ sub-rack according to IP20.  Optionally, the modules can be expanded as follows:

  • Wall mount, chassis mount, DIN-rail mount, 19″ rack or customized design
  • Fan or liquid cooled
  • Mating connectors, wiring and monitoring instruments in accordance to the customers’ requirements
  • Digital or analog V- and A-meters
  • Monitoring & programming via potentiometer, analog signals or RS232 / IEEE488 interfaces
  • Designed for a high level of shock and vibration
  • Tropical protection finish on all circuit boards and components to ensure an increased protection category to protect the module from extreme climatic conditions
  • Robust enclosure that can withstand wind, sun, salt water, dirt or dust.
  • Hermetically sealed enclosure for high protection category
Product Features
  • Bidirectional units/systems are designed with the latest switching technologies (Newest IGBT’s to Silicon Carbide)
  • MPPTs easily paralleled for higher power photo voltaic applications
  • Buck, boost, or isolated topology
  • DC/DC, DC/AC, AC/DC or AC/AC
  • Custom solutions, typically with no NRE
  • Ultra-wide input ranges to handle extremes, including the 74VDC bus, even during start-up conditions
  • High efficiency for lower cost of ownership
  • Hermetically sealed solutions
  • High efficiency power conversion Units/systems (97% efficiency on the PowerStack series)
  • Natural convection or water-cooled solutions
  • Extra rugged construction for use in the most demanding and harsh conditions
  • Redundant configurations for longer life operation in critical applications
  • Ultra-wide temperature ranges
  • Reverse polarity protection option
  • Lightweight, high power density for smaller package designs or compact portable applications
Engineering Standards

To ensure a high reliability and quality of our power supplies, they have to pass through internal testing for high industrial requirements. Furthermore, they can be tested against increased shock and vibration resistance, as well as extreme environmental conditions. All components are selected according to criteria of durability, availability and performance. According to customer requirements national and international standards can be tested in cooperation with external laboratories.

  • EN 50178
  • EN 60664-1
  • EN 60950-1
  • EN 61000-6-2
  • EN 61000-6-4
  • EN 55011 / EN 55022 class A
  • EN 61140
Electrical Features

By default, all devices are designed with electronic current limiting, overvoltage protection and continuous short circuit protection. Optionally, the modules can be expanded as follows:

  • Inrush current limiting
  • Reverse polarity protection for DC input
  • Decoupling diode for redundant / parallel operation
  • Active current sharing for parallel operation
  • Hot-pluggable solutions
  • Monitoring of input and output voltage
  • Output programmable
  • Power factor correction (PFC) for single phase input
  • Temperature compensated charging voltage
  • Automatic / manual selection of charging characteristics
  • Remote ON / OFF (inhibit)
Mechanical Features

By default, all modules will be offered as a 19″ module or 19″ sub-rack according to IP20.  Optionally, the modules can be expanded as follows:

  • Wall mount, chassis mount, DIN-rail mount, 19″ rack or customized design
  • Fan or liquid cooled
  • Mating connectors, wiring and monitoring instruments in accordance to the customers’ requirements
  • Digital or analog V- and A-meters
  • Monitoring & programming via potentiometer, analog signals or RS232 / IEEE488 interfaces
  • Designed for a high level of shock and vibration
  • Tropical protection finish on all circuit boards and components to ensure an increased protection category to protect the module from extreme climatic conditions
  • Robust enclosure that can withstand wind, sun, salt water, dirt or dust.
  • Hermetically sealed enclosure for high protection category

Featured Products

5kW and 10kW High Dynamic Power Supplies for Harsh Industrial Applications.

  • Laser Industry: Pulse or injection locked lasers
  • Welding Industry: Micro electronic beam-, seam- & spot welding
  • Industrial Automation: Cutting or drilling processes
  • Radar Systems

New Literature

Active Harmonic Filter
High Voltage & High Current
Liquid Cooled
IP65 rated
560 to 690Vac three phase systems
140A AHF pluggable modules (4 per system) = 560A per cabinet
Secondary cooling loop
Ideal for Oil Platforms and 600VAC power systems/grids

Battery Charger System for Water – Power Plant

Hydropower is the world largest source of renewable energies. Dams built to produce hydroelectricity impound a reservoir of water and release it through one or more water turbines, connected to generators, and generate electricity, from the energy provided by difference in water level upstream and downstream.

Coolant System Control for Reactor

Our experience in electricity network operation helps to deliver safe, reliable and accessible power systems for some of the most complex power generation networks including. Therefore high performance with maximum energy efficiency is the goal of this coolant system control power supply module.

COTS, MOTS and Custom Power Solutions

With nearly 50 years of experience and thousands of custom designed power products, you can rely on Schaefer’s engineering and manufacturing expertise for your specific application needs. Our COTS power converters can be built into sealed high IP rated enclosures with increased mechanical strength and hermetically sealed MIL connectors. We can optimize our standard products by installing them into custom enclosures and adding meters, switches or any other functionality you require, with little or no NRE!

Research and testing are provided for:

  • Thermal Analysis
  • FMECA
  • Halt
  • Hass
  • Loop Stability/Optimization
  • MTBF, FIT, PDR, and CDR

Schaefer’s electrical and mechanical engineering teams are true industry craftsmen, contact us to discuss your shipboard and subsea power supply requirements or to request a quote.

Additional Examples of Schaefer’s Custom Power Solutions

Our experienced engineering and manufacturing team has delivered over 2,000 custom power solution products. To learn more about our custom solutions click on the button below.