Powerbox is aiming at data centres that use electronics flooded in liquid for cooling  – so called ‘immerged applications’ – with a mains-to-12Vdc power supply.

Called OFI600A12, it is the result of two years research and development, according to the firm: “Beside requiring a new mechanical approach to facilitate fluid circulation through and around the power supply, designers had to investigate every single component for compatibility with cooling fluids to guarantee they will maintain their mechanical and electrical performances when immerged – their risk of corrosion, for example. The development process also included a thorough risk analysis to verify that when immerged the final product operates with the highest level of safety for users and equipment.”

Topology is an interleaved transition mode power factor correction followed by an LLC second stage.

Input can range over 187 to 265Vac and it is designed to keep in-rush current below 10A at 264Vac.

The main output is 12V at 600W, plus ther is a 5V 10W auxillary. Efficiency is up to 93%. Immersion liquid can range across 0-60°C.

Other features include remote on-off, remote reset, over-current protection and over-voltage protection.

It has various modes and can be configured through its firmware and output protection configuration in the factory in a few minutes, according to PowerBox. Output protection configurations include switch-off, hiccup mode or constant current.

The unit is conformally coated for protection and complies with the RoHS and REACH directives. The manufacturing practices used, are apparently similar to those required by the marine industry in terms of robustness and the ability to endure operation in high levels of humidity or salty environments.

Don’t try this at home

Just in case you are reading this and are not an electronics engineer, please don’t put any mans power supply under water – the liquids used in immersed computers are special and, as you have read above, the power supply is special too.