20 Mar A load bank, what’s that for?
Why use a load bank ?
For safety, maintenance, compliance or risk anticipation reasons, it is essential to test your power supplies or those of your customers. This guarantees you, in the long term, a safe running of your equipment (generators, inverters, batteries, engines, turbines…) and a reduction of breakdowns of your equipment. Your solution is the use of load banks adapted to your needs (from 50 kVA to 3300 kVA).
Thanks to different types of loads (resistive, capacitive or inductive) we will be able to reproduce your operating conditions identically. From then on, your electrical equipment will be more efficient, and can even bring you a return on investment (generator set).
How does a load bank work ?
Generators rarely run at full speed over long periods of time. It is during engine operation at low load that risks can appear such as fouling, accumulation of moisture and carbon, especially in the combustion chambers and the exhaust system. The solution is to push the system to full capacity, thanks to the load bank, to determine its maximum power over a given time.
Using load banks allow you preventive maintenance of your installations and to enhance their performance.
The 3 main functions of a load bank
#TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT AT FULL LOAD
This is in order to guarantee the manufacturer’s performance of electrical equipment (resistive and inductive load bank + alternator), to test the endurance of an inverter (resistive and capacitive load bank + inverter), to check the correct operation of a safety source rarely used at full power without cutting or disturbing the installation’s grid (resistive load bank + emergency generator set) or to simulate equipment on an isolated grid (resistive load bank + Microgrid).
#MAINTAIN YOUR FOR SAFE RUNNING AND PERFORMANCE BY RUNNING IT FOR SEVERAL HOURS
Goal: to extend the service life of a electrical equipment as a generator used under load over long periods because at low load the engine does not reach its optimum operating temperature and it clogs up (Resistive load bank + generator set), to test the endurance of an inverter little used on which the battery has lost its autonomy (Resistive and capacitive load bank + inverter).
#TEST TO PREVENT FAILURES
It is a question of maintaining a minimum power of 30% to 50% of the nominal power on your generator (Resistive load bank + generator set), compensating an excess of reactive energy on your installation related to lighting (Capacitive load bank + IGH) or reactive energy of long cable lengths (Inductive load bank + generator set).
Load banks ensure you a secure return on investment
Load banks allow you to :
– Performance & profitability: increase the life-span of your installations
– Risk anticipation: reducing the risk of breakdowns and costly repairs
– Action for our Planet: limit polluting emissions
– Maintenance: Avoid the forced immobilization of your generating sets
– Compliance: meeting regulatory requirements, in terms of fire and panic risks (Article EL18: ERP – Order of 25 June 1980 and Article GH43: IGH – Order of 30 December 2011)*.
Hence the importance of test load banks in sectors where the power supply is critical such as medical and hospital centres, ERP, emergency services but also large production sites, data centres (computer rooms, telecom groups, data storage, …).
*Reminder of the law : “Safety generating sets must be regularly maintained and tested at the following minimum intervals: monthly automatic start tests with a minimum load of 50% of the group’s power and operation with this load for a minimum of 30 minutes. »
KVA Applications at your side to meet your needs
With a range of modular products and a wide choice of designs (resistive, inductive/selfic, capacitive, rackable, tunnels, discharge benches, containers, etc.), KVA Applications is able to meet your needs and meet your requirements while ensuring your safety and peace of mind.
As proof, emblematic companies with complex issues already trust us: Kiloutou, Loxam, Gay Électricité, BES, …
Do you have any questions? Need a quote for a loadbank project? Please contact us!
