Portable Load Bank for UPS Testing

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Portable Load Bank for UPS Testing | Commissioning - This is a portable load bank used for testing small UPS (Universal Power Supply) systems and for other electrical loads. New UPS systems are tested to ensure they operate properly and can hold the designed load whenever a power failure occurs.

It is a way to test the UPS system without hooking up an actual load to the system with the actual load being the computer systems the UPS will power in the event of a power failure.

This testing ensures the UPS equipment will functionally operate after the intended load is hooked up to the UPS system. Included in the test is a time factor on how long the batteries will power the load without utility or a backup generator. On specific construction projects, whether it is new construction or retrofit projects, data centers and telecom facilities go through the commissioning process.

The commissioning process tests all electrical and mechanical devices under normal operation and under full load conditions. Other scenarios are tested such as equipment failure, infrastructure failures such as piping or utility loss, and plans implemented for operational procedures in case these scenarios occur.

Portable Load Bank for UPS Testing | Commissioning | Functional Testing

It answers the question of how long one has to shut down their computers before the batteries are drained and the UPS becomes inoperable for lack of power. Typically most owners will specify a time requirement for how long they want the batteries to power the designed load before they must shut down their computers. Depending on how much time cushion the owner wants for this purpose will depend on the design of the UPS and how many batteries needed to power the system temporarily.

This test with a load bank determines that time. What happens if the utility service goes down and the generator fails to start. How much time do you have to before you will completely lose power back-up from the UPS batteries? This is very important to know in telecom and data center buildings where it is important to know the specific time needed to save data.

Portable Load Bank for UPS Testing | Commissioning | Sizes

There are larger load banks than the one pictured. This portable load bank was used for a small UPS system. Data centers generally have either fixed load banks or a larger portable load bank that usually requires being moved around on a trailer and truck. These load banks generally offer different voltage ranges, 50 or 60 hertz, and various phases so testing can be done on a whole range of equipment.

From small 10 KW load banks all the way to 2500 KW fixed load banks testing can be done on a whole range of electrical systems without using the actual loads. It is also a way to select a measured load on the electrical equipment so tests can be done in steps from low KW all the way to maximum KWs for testing design limits of the electrical equipment.