In industrial installations often several electric facilities are required of which, however, not all are simultaneously in operation.
For example coating installations often consist of several sputter devices in order to apply differing coatings, for example, onto glass. In this installation each sputter device has its own energy supply, which can be a DC or an AC energy supply.
The electric powers, with which the sputter devices operate, differ. They can be 15 kW but also 180 kW. If, for example, fifteen sputter devices are assumed with the powers 180 kW (AC), 30 kW (DC), 75 kW (DC), 30 kW (DC), 30 kW (DC), 120 kW (DC), 120 kW (AC), 120 kW (AC), 75 kW (DC), 120 kW (DC), 30 kW (DC), 30 kW (DC), 120 kW (DC), 120 kW (AC), 120 kW (AC), a total AC power of 660 kW and a total DC power to be provided of also 660 kW is calculated. Per kilowatt of power an electric power supply currently costs approximately 700.00, which amounts to a total power supply cost of 924,000.00.
In practice, of the overall 1320 kW only relatively few kW are called up, since not all sputter installations are operating simultaneously. As a rule, a total DC power of 300 kW is sufficient.
The invention therefore addresses the problem of making available only as much electric power as is actually required.
This problem is solved according to the present invention, which consequently relates to a configuration for several consumers of electric energy, where these consumers have either the same electric power or different electric power requirements. Since, as a rule, not all consumers need to be supplied simultaneously with electric energy, for example if some are not in operation due to maintenance work, a modular energy supply system is provided, which comprises several modules which can be interconnected. Hereby each consumer can be supplied from small units with that power which is required.
The advantage attained with the invention comprises in particular that expenditures for expensive electric energy supplies are saved.
An embodiment example of the invention is shown in the drawing and will be described below in further detail.