Electronic – Relay/Contactor for 30A inrush, 250mA steady

contactormaximum-ratingsrelay

I'm struggling to find any relay or contactor even close to the specs I need, and I've contacted many manufacturers. This is controlling a large contactor, so draws a 30A 24DC inrush current. It then settles to a 250mA hold current. It seems any relay large enough to handle the 30A inrush, then also has minimum current ratings well above 250mA. I can not seem to find anything to handle both, and I can't suppress the inrush.

Does anyone know of any such device? My only other potential idea is to use a number of small relays and split the current through possibly upwards of 12 contacts, so as to put a small current through each and be looking at more like a range of 20mA to 2.5A per contact. Even still, this is bad practice and will lead to failure anyway. Surely there must be a better way.

Best Answer

That wide range between min and max current is a problem for most relays.

You have a couple of options.

  1. Use a solid state device. MOSFETs are good at low potential and high currents.

  2. Use two different relays: one for the pull-in, the other for holding.

You will have to control both relays individually - the smaller holding relay will pin much faster than the large relay.