Load banks are systems that offer seamless power supply at all times to ensure the proper functioning of equipment in an office when there is a power outage. The system also regulates the power so that the equipment is protected from damages caused by power fluctuations.
Here we will take a look at the steps of setting up a high-performance loadbank in an office. We will begin with the installation of the general assembly.
The load bank will need to be placed firmly in an enclosure where the thickness of the sheet will be greater than 2mm. There should be thermal insulating material on the sides of the enclosure and the temperature needs to be restricted to atmospheric temperature.
There should be adequate ventilation inside the enclosure along with a proper voltage supply preferably of 415 volts with AC 50 Hz. Also, IP34 needs to be set up on all the sides of the enclosure except the ventilation.
There needs to be a ventilation ductin the enclosure to expel the hot air that will accumulate inside the enclosure. Also, make sure that you are using standardequipment to install the load bank.
In the bottom, the frame needs to be fitted with castor to make it more stable.
Now after the general assembly we will discuss how you can set up the control panel.
Use only control gears that are made by reputedcompanies. The control panel is generally provided with the load bank.
The control panel is designed in a way that there will be push buttons with which one can add loads. For this operation, however, a different ratting power will have to be set up by the contractor.
There needs to be proper metering to record the operation timing. For this, a multi-function meter needs to be used that will monitor kilowatt, kVA, PF, and other frequencies.
The panel needs to have the main on indication along with the load on indication that determines the load in each step. Then there will be a trip indication that will help in determining temperature and loads.
The indication lamps are mostly LED with additional features such as surge protection and voltage blocking.
Now let us take a look into the safety controls that need to be set up.
There should be adequate backup protection of the heating element in the resistive loadbank and there has to be an HRC fuse for the backup.
A thermal overload relay will be there on the loadbank that will have to be set up in a way that safeguards the system.
One needs to guarantee sufficient airflow inside the enclosure when the loadbank is turned on. For this to happen, an airflow switch needs to be included in the enclosure. Also, there needs to be a thermostat to prevent excess heat in the resistor.
Two coats of red post office paint need to be applied to the interior and exterior of the loadbank. When it comes to grounding all the equipment needs to be connected to ground copper and adequate spare parts need to be stored for the proper functioning of the system.
So, these are the steps to be followed for installing a loadbank in an industrial area.
The author is an experienced consultant in the installation of electrical systems and resistive loadbanks in different commercial areas.