Load bank
Updated 2026-10-27
Data records
- For a battery capacity test the DC load is held at a set constant current or constant power through the discharge, and the result is used to judge the battery's reliability and remaining life before replacement becomes necessary.
- Throughout a discharge test the system records the overall string voltage, the load current and every individual cell voltage, and preset low-voltage alarms can pause the test before any cell reaches reversal.
- DC load banks serve battery capacity, acceptance and discharge testing and the commissioning and maintenance of DC systems in telecommunications, data center, utility, industrial and military installations.
- A load bank is an assembly of switchable resistive and, in some types, reactive load elements that draws a known electrical load from a source under test, so that a generator, UPS or battery can be loaded without the plant's real load.
- Portable resistive load banks are used for the commissioning and the scheduled maintenance of standby generators and UPS systems; the load is applied in adjustable steps and the heat is removed by forced-air cooling.
- Load banks are built with resistive, inductive or capacitive load elements, and units can be networked as modules to form a system of larger capacity, with digital controllers offered for the control.
- The class spans small portable, large portable, trailer-mounted and stationary units, offered with either air cooling or liquid cooling.
- A resistive-reactive load bank applies the load at a lagging power factor rather than at unity, so that a generator, switchgear, a transformer or a UPS is tested at its rated apparent power and power factor.
- A portable battery load bank pairs with per-cell acquisition modules that send each cell's voltage to the load controller wirelessly during the discharge, so that weak cells are identified while the test runs.
Elsewhere in the family
- Battery Capacity Load Test related entry on Battery Testing Reference
- Engine Generator Load and Performance related entry on Electrical Testing Reference
- UPS Functional and Transfer Tests related entry on Battery Testing Reference
- UPS Functional and Transfer Tests related entry on Electrical Testing Reference
Sources
- Eagle Eye Power Solutions product page, Constant Current DC Load Bank Tester with Wireless Cell Monitoring - SLB-Series, web page edition, Eagle Eye Power Solutions. Held as: Public page. Publisher page
- Electrical Testing Reference editorial taxonomy, Electrical Testing Reference editorial taxonomy of test methods, 2026-10 edition, Electrical Testing Reference. Held as: Own observation.
- Simplex product page, Load Banks | Simplex Direct, web page edition, Simplex. Held as: Public page. Publisher page
- Trystar (Load Banks Direct) product page, DC Series Load Banks, web page edition, Trystar (Load Banks Direct). Held as: Public page. Publisher page
- Trystar (Load Banks Direct) product page, Portable Load Banks, web page edition, Trystar (Load Banks Direct). Held as: Public page. Publisher page
- Trystar (Load Banks Direct) product page, Resistive Reactive Load Banks, web page edition, Trystar (Load Banks Direct). Held as: Public page. Publisher page
- Vertiv product page, Alber BCT-2000 Battery Capacity Test System, web page edition, Vertiv. Held as: Public page. Publisher page
Changelog (22 entries)
| Date | Revision | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.battery-discharge-constant-current) | |
| 2026-10-27 | revised (instr.load-bank.battery-discharge-constant-current) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.battery-discharge-constant-current) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.cell-voltage-monitoring) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.cell-voltage-monitoring) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.dc-load-bank-applications) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.dc-load-bank-applications) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.definition) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.definition) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.generator-ups-testing) | |
| 2026-10-27 | revised (instr.load-bank.generator-ups-testing) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.generator-ups-testing) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.load-types) | |
| 2026-10-27 | revised (instr.load-bank.load-types) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.load-types) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.portable-vs-stationary) | |
| 2026-10-27 | revised (instr.load-bank.portable-vs-stationary) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.portable-vs-stationary) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.resistive-reactive-power-factor) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.resistive-reactive-power-factor) | |
| 2026-10-27 | created (instr.load-bank.wireless-cell-monitoring) | |
| 2026-10-27 | review_status unreviewed -> software_reviewed (instr.load-bank.wireless-cell-monitoring) |
Cite this page
Cite the governing standard for the fact itself; cite this page as the finding aid.
"Load bank." Test Instrument Reference. 2026-10-27. https://www.testinstrumentreference.com/instruments/load-bank/.
Test Instrument Reference, Load bank (Oct. 27, 2026), https://www.testinstrumentreference.com/instruments/load-bank/.
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title = {Load bank},
howpublished = {\url{https://www.testinstrumentreference.com/instruments/load-bank/}},
organization = {Test Instrument Reference},
publisher = {Test Instrument Reference},
year = {2026},
note = {last substantive change 2026-10-27}
}{{cite web |title=Load bank |website=Test Instrument Reference |publisher=Test Instrument Reference |url=https://www.testinstrumentreference.com/instruments/load-bank/ |date=2026-10-27 |access-date=}}