A coil actuator for low and medium voltage applications including: a coil electromagnet having a single coil winding and a movable member; and a power and control unit including: a power circuit operatively coupled with the coil electromagnet, the power circuit including input terminals for receiving an input voltage and an intermediate node, the electromagnet being electrically connected with the input terminal and the intermediate node, the power circuit further including a discharge circuit, which is electrically connected with the first input terminal and the intermediate node in parallel with the coil winding, and a switch circuit, which is electrically connected with the intermediate node and the second input terminal, the switch circuit including at least a power switch; a controller operatively coupled with the power circuit to drive the at least a power switch to control of an input current circulating through the power circuit, the controller being adapted to perform a PWM control of the input current to operate the coil electromagnet; a power supply circuit adapted to feed the controller. The power supply circuit is electrically connected with the intermediate node and the controller.

Shade mitigation systems and devices to mitigate adverse effects of shade on a primary photovoltaic cell powering a load via an output terminal. The shade mitigation devices include a relay switch and a secondary photovoltaic cell. The relay switch selectively completes a circuit between the primary photovoltaic cell and the load when energized. The secondary photovoltaic cell is electrically coupled to the relay switch and is mounted in a position to monitor illumination on the primary photovoltaic cell. The secondary photovoltaic cell energizes the relay switch to selectively complete the circuit between the primary photovoltaic cell and the load when the secondary photovoltaic cell is illuminated by at least a threshold illumination. The secondary photovoltaic cell stops energizing the relay switch to selectively open the circuit between the primary photovoltaic cell and the load when the secondary photovoltaic cell is shaded sufficiently to illuminate it below the threshold illumination.

A relay device includes a coil portion, a fixed contact, a spring, a moving contact and a drive circuit. The drive circuit controls the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be a first electromagnetic force when switching the fixed contact and the moving contact in a contact state to a non-contact state. The drive circuit controls the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be a second electromagnetic force that is larger than the first electromagnetic force after a lapse of a first time from start of control of the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be the first electromagnetic force. The drive circuit controls the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be reduced with time after a lapse of a second time from start of control of the electromagnetic force of the coil portion to be the second electromagnetic force.

Device for the command and control of the electric power supply of one or more windings of an electromagnetic actuator, comprising a plurality of electronic means configured to receive at the input either a direct current feeding voltage or alternatively an alternating current feeding voltage and to generate at the output a first digital command signal suitable for triggering an activation phase of the electromagnetic actuator in which at least one the one or more windings is powered, for a first predefined and adjustable time interval, with an activation current, a second digital command signal suitable for triggering a maintenance phase of the electromagnetic actuator in which the one or more windings are powered with a maintenance current having an intensity lower than the activation current, and a third digital command signal suitable for triggering a third phase of deactivation of the electromagnetic actuator in which the power supply of the one or more windings is interrupted for a second predefined and adjustable time interval.

A relay control device includes a coil, a movable iron armature that is switched from an open state to a closed state when the coil is excited, a switching current output circuit that applies first current for switching the movable iron armature from the open state to the closed state to the coil, and a holding current output circuit that applies second current for holding the movable iron armature in the closed state to the coil. The switching current output circuit applies the first current to the coil when a first time has elapsed from when the second current is started to be applied to the coil, and the value of the second current is lower than the value of the first current.

A relay control device includes a coil, a movable iron armature that is switched from an open state to a closed state when the coil is excited, a switching current output circuit that applies first current for switching the movable iron armature from the open state to the closed state to the coil, and a holding current output circuit that applies second current for holding the movable iron armature in the closed state to the coil. The switching current output circuit applies the first current to the coil when a first time has elapsed from when the second current is started to be applied to the coil, and the value of the second current is lower than the value of the first current.

Relays having internal connections on both sides of their switches may be used in conjunction with a connector that integrates both the normal relay switch control lines with the sensing conductors of a control module for a battery module of an energy storage device. In this manner, sensing conductors may be routed along with the switch control lines for the relay instead of separately as described above. This integration reduces the complexity and cost associated with the energy storage device, because it reduces the number of separately routed lines and also eliminates the external connections for at least some of the sensing conductors.

A hybrid relay (1) comprises an electromechanical part (10) with a movable contact (103), a solid state relay (11) and a control unit (2) for applying a drive signal (S′,S″) to the drivable coil (101) of the electromechanical part. A method for operating the hybrid relay comprises steps of determining a first minimum voltage (V.sub.1) for the drive signal above which the movable contact (103) starts to move away from an open position (P.sub.o) and a second minimum voltage (V.sub.2) for the drive signal above which the movable contact (103) reaches the closed position (P.sub.c), and a step of shaping a waveform (W) for the drive signal comprising a portion (W1) consisting of a vertical segment jumping from zero to the first minimum voltage value, a portion (W2) wherein the voltage gradually increases from the first minimum value to the second minimum voltage value, and a portion (W3) consisting of another vertical segment jumping from the second minimum voltage value to an upper voltage boundary (V.sub.sup).

A hybrid relay (1) comprises an electromechanical part (10) with a movable contact (103), a solid state relay (11) and a control unit (2) for applying a drive signal (S′,S″) to the drivable coil (101) of the electromechanical part. A method for operating the hybrid relay comprises steps of determining a first minimum voltage (V.sub.1) for the drive signal above which the movable contact (103) starts to move away from an open position (P.sub.o) and a second minimum voltage (V.sub.2) for the drive signal above which the movable contact (103) reaches the closed position (P.sub.c), and a step of shaping a waveform (W) for the drive signal comprising a portion (W1) consisting of a vertical segment jumping from zero to the first minimum voltage value, a portion (W2) wherein the voltage gradually increases from the first minimum value to the second minimum voltage value, and a portion (W3) consisting of another vertical segment jumping from the second minimum voltage value to an upper voltage boundary (V.sub.sup).

A power-saving circuit for a contactor includes a coil drive circuit, and further includes a rectification and filtering circuit, a PFC circuit, an auxiliary power supply circuit, and a square wave generation circuit. The square wave generation circuit outputs a first square wave signal to the PFC circuit via a first output end according to a set timing sequence, and outputs a second square wave signal and a third square wave signal to the coil drive circuit via a second output end, so as to respectively control duty cycles of a first switch tube in the PFC circuit and a second switch tube in the coil drive circuit. The auxiliary power supply circuit supplies electric energy to the square wave generation circuit during a holding stage of the contactor. The rectification and filtering circuit is used for rectifying an input AC into a pulsating DC, and filtering an input narrow-pulse current into a smooth current to be outputted to the PFC circuit after eliminating higher harmonic components other than a fundamental frequency component of 50 Hz. The PFC circuit receives rectified and filtered electric energy, enables an effective value of the input current to change along with an input voltage, and outputs the input current to the coil drive circuit and the auxiliary power supply circuit. The coil drive circuit is used for controlling the current of a contactor coil. Wherein during a pull-in stage of the contactor, the PFC circuit does not work and the power-saving circuit provides a large current to the contactor coil to pull in; during a transition stage, the PFC circuit starts to work and the power-saving circuit controls the current of the contactor coil to decrease gradually; and during a holding stage of the contactor, the PFC circuit keeps working and the power-saving circuit controls the current of the contactor coil to be kept as a small current required for holding.