Request a quoteLoad bank testing: what it proves
A load bank is a controllable electrical load. It lets you prove generators, UPS systems and cooling at full duty before the real IT load arrives.
- Proves capacity and stability under real load, not on paper.
- Steps of 25, 50, 75 and 100 per cent show how the system behaves as the load rises.
- The heat from the load bank tests the cooling as well as the power.
- Every reading is recorded and kept with the commissioning records.
What a load bank is.
A resistive load bank converts electrical power into heat, so it applies real power in kW. A resistive and reactive load bank also applies reactive power, so a generator can be tested at the power factor it is rated for.
In a data hall, smaller load banks or rack heat load emulators sit where the IT will go, and release heat into the room or into the liquid cooling loop.
Generators, UPS systems and cooling.
Generators are proven for output, voltage and frequency stability and their response to sudden changes in load. Running a diesel generator for long periods at light load can leave unburned fuel in the exhaust system, often called wet stacking, and a load bank run helps prevent it.
UPS systems are proven under load, including the transfer to battery and back. Cooling is proven at design load, because the heat from the load bank is the heat the IT will produce.
How a test runs.
The test follows a written script. The load bank is connected with cables rated for the load, the area is made safe, and the load is applied in steps.
- Script and acceptance criteria agreed before the test
- Load applied at 25, 50, 75 and 100 per cent, held at each step
- Sudden load steps to check how the system responds
- Readings recorded at each step, then a controlled cool down
What is recorded.
Each reading carries the time, the instrument used and its calibration, so the result can be checked later.
- Voltage, current and frequency
- Power and power factor
- Temperatures in the room or in the loop
- Alarms and events, with time stamps
Heat, cables and exclusion zones.
A load bank produces a large amount of hot air or warm water. Exhaust paths are kept clear, exclusion zones are set up around the equipment and the connections, and the work runs under a permit to work.
Commissioning L1 to L5 checklist
What each level should cover and the evidence to keep. Enter your email and download it straight away, with our sample FAT report and inspection and test plan.