• • • CRESTCHIC • • • Test your backup power, before it tests you
With energy infrastructure and energy security continuing to be a hot topic, Paul Brickman from Crestchic Loadbanks explores the best way to safeguard businesses from costly downtime caused by power outages
ver the last 12 months, a combination of disrupted supply chains, energy transition, low investment, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have impacted both the cost and availability of power.
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Achieving power resilience It’s fair to say that most businesses have power resilience strategies in place. This often comes in the form of a generator, which offers a temporary backup power source in the event of an outage. While having the equipment in place is certainly the first step to any power resilience strategy, it is important that operators implement a testing regime that validates the reliability and performance of the generator.
What should generator testing look like?
The only way to do this is to use a load bank to simulate the operational load that a generator would encounter under real operational conditions. Doing so “tests” the generator – including fuel, exhaust and cooling systems, and alternator insulation resistance – to ensure that it is fit for purpose in the event that it is called upon. Ideally, all generators should at very least be tested a minimum of once a year using a resistive- reactive 0.8pf load bank. If multiple gensets are run in parallel, they should be run in a synchronised state, ideally for egi hours but for a minimum of three. Where a resistive-only load bank is used (1.0pf), testing should be increased to 2-4 times per year at three hours per test minimum.
The risk of not testing back-up power systems
A robust testing regime ensures that generators are effectively tested and system issues can be uncovered in a safe, controlled manner without the cost of major failure or unplanned downtime. Despite this, generators often have no regular testing schedule in place. With the fuel, exhaust and cooling system untested, along with the potential for embedded moisture, the system is at high-risk of failure.
Given that the cost of a load bank is typically only a fraction of the cost of the systems that it supports – and with businesses ill able to afford power outages – now is the time to implement regular and rigorous testing.
LOADBANKS for GENERATORS
AC Resistive Only and Resistive/Reactive Loadbanks DC Loadbanks
Containerised Loadbanks
Crestchic Limited, Second Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE14 2WF, UK T: +44 (0)1283 531645 F: +44 (0)1283 510103 E:
salesuk@crestchic.com
www.crestchicloadbanks.com
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • JULY/AUGUST 2023 33
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