Two Real-World Cases: Why Choosing the Right ODES Power Supply Matters

TonyZhang
Aug 31
2 min read

At project sites, engineers often face the same puzzling question: “The rated power is sufficient—so why did the power supply still trip into protection?”

This article presents two real cases, highlighting common root causes and explaining how ODES power supplies address them effectively.

Case 1 – Capacitive Load in a Protection Control Cabinet

At one site, engineers selected a switching power supply with ample rated capacity to support protection devices.

However, during a power-down and restart event, the protection device switches remained closed, meaning all devices energized simultaneously. This created a capacitive load at startup. The resulting inrush current instantly triggered the supply’s protection mechanism, cutting the output. The apparent symptom: the power supply “failed to start.”

This is a typical capacitive load startup problem. ODES power supplies are designed with enhanced inrush-current tolerance, preventing false protection trips and ensuring reliable restart of protection devices.

Case 2 – Breaker Energy Storage Challenge

In some switching stations without dedicated DC systems, both breaker operation and protection devices rely on a low-power switching supply.

Normal operation poses no issue. However, after breaker operation, the energy storage motor enters a “final surge” phase requiring short-duration high power. Without adequate transient output capacity, the supply experiences voltage drop or protection trip, causing storage failure.

ODES power supplies are optimized for this scenario, featuring short-time high-current capability. This ensures breaker energy storage completes reliably, without disruption.

Advantages of ODES Power Supplies

When customers ask: “What makes ODES power supplies different from others?” — the answer is clear:

Higher Standards: Designed to meet and exceed electromagnetic compatibility Level 4 for power systems, with authoritative test reports available.
Application-Oriented Design: Integrated PFC (power factor correction) circuit enables adaptation to complex grid conditions, while strengthening inrush and short-duration overload capability.
Superior Reliability: Whether facing capacitive load startup or breaker energy storage surges, ODES supplies maintain stable output—avoiding false protection and downtime.

With over 20 years of field experience in power-system applications, ODES products undergo rigorous site validation to ensure long-term stable and reliable performance.