Distinctive features of the MEAN WELL LED drivers

A special feature of LED lighting systems is the requirement to stabilize the output parameters of their power sources. If separate LEDs or chains of series-parallel connected LEDs are used, the current is the stabilized parameter, since the brightness directly depends on the level of current flowing through the LED, and it should not exceed the maximum value for this LED. The second important parameter is the power, which is determined (calculated) based on the parameters of the LED or a chain of them. Accordingly, in this case, it is required to use a current–stabilized power source (Constant Current, CC) or, as it is also called, an LED driver.

The type of stabilization of output parameters in LED power supplies

The LED driver (power supply) operates almost always in its maximum power range. The current is stabilized at a nominal level in a certain output voltage range – area B in the figure. If the power of the LED lamp exceeds the power of the power supply, the power supply goes into overload protection (intermittent line at the bottom of area B), and if the power of the power supply exceeds the power of the lamp, the LEDs in it will fail (the lamp will "burn out"). Therefore, the LED driver is calculated strictly for its load and it is usually difficult or impossible to find analogues for replacement if the parameters of the LED lamp are very different from the standard ones.

In practice, LED drivers usually require low power – 8-36W, which makes them easy to integrate into the design of the lamp and / or make a distributed power supply for LED lighting or installation. In this case, you can use drivers connected to an AC network (AC/DC converters) of the APC-8/12/25/35 series or in an extended case of the LPC-20/35/60 series.

The appearance of the LPC-20 series LED driver

You can also use low–power DC/DC drivers of the LDH, NLDD, LDDS series. In this case, a common AC/DC converter from an AC network to a fixed DC voltage (usually 12, 24, 48V) can be of any type, and the power supply to the LEDs is carried out by a low-voltage DC network.

The appearance of the LDH-45 series LED driver

For high–power LED lights, there are high-power drivers - 75-480 W HLG-C series and ELG-C series, available only with the AC/DC conversion type. As a rule, in these cases, it is required to provide power under the widest possible operating conditions in terms of temperature and humidity, therefore, such power supplies are manufactured in a metal case with a high degree of protection IP65/67.

The second mandatory requirement for power supplies with a power of 100W or more in order to reduce interference in the AC network is the mandatory presence of a power factor corrector (PFC), which is present in almost all MEAN WELL high-power LED drivers.:

Power factor corrector unit using HLG-185H-C as an example

In the case when the output current of the LEDs in the lamp may be different, or the power source is selected for a wide range of lamps, then the LCM series drivers can be used – in them the output current level is set by microswitches.:

Setting the output current in the LCM-25 series

Thus, depending on the conditions of placement, operation and power supply network, you can choose the right LED driver from MEAN WELL. And if the main parameters of the selected drivers match, then it is advisable to give preference to a larger power source (if the dimensions in its location allow), since a larger source usually has improved characteristics – it usually has less output current ripple, which will positively affect the service life of the LED lamp, and heat removal from its elements is also better ensured, which will have a better effect on the reliability of the power supply itself.

For advice or clarification of information on MEAN WELL power supplies, please contact the email address Meanwell@chipdip.ru .