What Are Load Banks And Where Can You Use Them?
With our constant need for power to operate essential equipment in our homes and business or industrial sites, the demand for standby generators and UPS systems has increased. However, running underloaded negatively impacts the life and efficiency of generators. This could lead to engine trouble and damage to their valves and exhaust ports. When this happens, your engines could take a long time to start or completely fail when they are most needed.
Because generators and UPS systems help you survive and stay productive during a power outage, you need to make sure they will always operate properly. This can only be achieved by resistive load testing the standby systems upon installation and at regular intervals. In this article, we will look into load banks and why they are essential in keeping your standby systems operational.
What Are Load Banks?
Load banks are electrical test equipment that mimics an electrical load to test a power source. They replicate, prove, and verify the real-life demands on critical power. To do this, a load bank creates an electrical load that imitates the operational load that a generator or power source will use. In the test procedure, the load bank applies the electrical load to the power source and dissipates the resulting electrical energy through resistive elements as heat. Through a load bank, you can test, support, and protect your power source, including batteries, generators, and UPS systems.
Load banks offer a wealth of advantages. They can be permanently installed at a facility where they can be connected to a power source whenever necessary. If you have standby generators and batteries offsite, there is also a portable load bank you can use for testing. Additionally, facilities that use intermittent renewable power sources such as windmills can use load banks to take away excess power that the electric power grid cannot absorb. Moreover, load banks help ensure generators perform to the desired engine wattage. Since normal generators run at a lower level than their rated output, a load bank test can verify that the generator can run at the desired wattage. Furthermore, load banks usually come with useful instruments for metering, load control, and overload protection making them great for monitoring and safety.
Where To Use A Load Bank?
Load banks have a wide variety of applications. Testing battery systems, ground power units, engine generators, and other power sources utilize load banks. Because of their many uses, load banks are useful across several industries. Below are some areas where using a load bank is done.
1. Manufacturing Testing
Engine cell testing
Load banks are used to test new engines at different mechanical loads. This is to confirm that the new engines can function efficiently in varying circumstances. Dynamometers connect the engine to the load bank to monitor the engine’s performance. When found necessary, adjustments will be made to the new engine.
Generator cell test
Before being sold to the market, standby generators are also tested using load banks. By applying certain loads to the generator, its manufacturer can check the endurance and stability of the unit. If it doesn’t perform as required, the load bank can help calibrate the generator. As a result, the generator will be able to pass the test requirements and reach the required tolerance and specifications.
2. Field Testing And Exercise
An important part of generator maintenance is regular testing. Through resistive load bank testing, you can verify the level of performance of your generators. This way, any generator problem can be identified and solved before the generator is needed in an emergency.
3. Wet-Stacking Elimination
When a diesel engine operates at light loads for a long time and does not properly burn fuel during combustion, oils and grease build up, interfering with the functions of the generator and reducing its efficiency. Wet-stacking is the term referring to the phenomenon. With a load bank, you can ensure that your generators can properly consume fuel and avoid wet stacking.
4. Demonstrations
Load banks are used in generator stores for demonstration purposes. If you are shopping for a generator, you would want to see how the unit works before paying for it and bringing it home. Through the demonstration, you can find out if the unit can operate at your expected performance levels and make sure you get your money’s worth.
Power outages and generator failures take away time that we can otherwise use for productivity or relaxation. Business establishments may cripple and lose a huge amount of money without a steady power supply. At home, power outages mean food spoilages, living without heat or air conditioning, and losing access to communication devices and security systems. By having a load bank, you will be able to regularly test your generator and make sure it can perform properly when needed. Consequently, you will be able to ensure that your necessary systems will keep running in an outage. Moreover, with a load bank, you can check your power sources for issues and recalibrate or repair them quickly before the situation escalates.
The Takeaway
If you want more information on load banks and how they can be helpful to your home or business, get in touch with our experts at Gen Set Hire and Sales. We can also provide you with the best load banks for sale from the top load bank manufacturers that will perfectly work with your current generators and UPS systems. More than that, we also offer generators for hire and sales near you, lighting towers, fuel tanks, and more. Our products are guaranteed to boost your productivity and ensure the safety and success of your home or business facility. Browse through our website or call us today on +61 08 9359 1988.