In times of major electricity blackouts everyone is required to have some source of alternative power to keep the routine going, whether you are running a business or are living a calm life at your home. You realize the importance of having a generator or UPS system and finally buy one. What’s next? You want to test whether your generator is capable of delivering all that it is promised to do and that is where load banking comes into the scenario.

 To keep it simple, load banking is the process to see that your generator is working according to the star ratings mentioned by the manufacturer even with peak load. But load banking is not just that, it is used for several other purposes.

This article will show you the different uses and importance of load banks and why you should consider load bank hire.

New units testing
Manufacturers themselves test the newly built units to see the performance. After the setting up a standby generator, a test engineer will connect it with a load bank and apply selected loads to see the response of the machine and to what extent can it endure the load.

Throughout this process, the engineer measures and adjusts the settings to make sure that the generator is performing according to the specifications.  A similar process is performed by the manufacturers of small gas engines on new engine units. This process is done by connecting the load banks with new engines through a device called dynamometer.

Field testing
The generator is now installed for your workplace or field. Load bank tests should be performed periodically according to the requirements of NERC and IEEE to see if the machine will perform when there are actual power outages. 

Load bank rental services should be contacted if you wish to rent a load bank for your company. Needless to say, only a simulated load bank test can ensure that the generator system is loaded and tested to 100% of its rated capacity. Testing to 100% ensures whether the cooling system is working efficiently or not, which is the most frequent reason for failure.

It also attains the rise in temperature to test the cooling system and burns off harmful excess fuel and carbon deposits. This way any critical issues in the machine can be identified preparing you for actual emergencies.

Wet stacking
Load banks are also used to test the diesel-powered generators, some additional load is applied to see the consumption of the engine in the consumption process. Generators loaded less than 30% never reach their optimum operating temperature, meaning that such a generator which is continuously run on a light load will start to exhibit the systems of wet stacking.

Carbon deposits will form on several parts such as injectors, pistons, rings, turbochargers, valves and accumulate in the lubrication oil as well. All of these conditions will result in reduced performance and engine life of the generator.

Maintenance times are also extended because of the additional work required to remove carbon deposits from key internal components. An engine suffering from wet stacking shows frequent signs of excessive black smoke on startup.

Types of load banks
There are several types of physical mounting configurations in load banks and you can choose one depending on the kind of work you want from it.

• The first type is a portable load bank which is the most common because of its flexibility. Moreover, it can be rented or purchased depending on the user’s preference.

• The second type is radiator mounted units which are usually included in a package when you buy a generator. This unit uses the generator's cooling system fan to provide load banking cooling. Although a drawback to this type is that only serves the generator it is attached with and cannot be used to test another generator or ups equipment.

• The third one is a permanent fixture, which is used for large multiple generators and UPS systems.

If you need generator rental Melbourne feels free to ask.

 

This post was edited by Christin jhon at July 16, 2018 6:29 AM EDT