Reactive Load Banks - Parallel Generator Testing

[publicgood]

Necessary or resistive only does the job? Calibrate load sharing via building load realistic? Do you specify this way? See others specifying this way or CxA requiring? I understand the rental cost to be on average 66% more.

 

[ron]

Depends on the expected building load. If it is significantly low pf, then I require factory reactive / resistive load testing, not field testing too (just resistive in the field).

Load sharing gets tested anyway in the field, and often not tested at the factory since test bays are not tested simultaneously often.

 

[Besoeker]

Necessary or resistive only does the job? Calibrate load sharing via building load realistic? Do you specify this way? See others specifying this way or CxA requiring? I understand the rental cost to be on average 66% more.

We've used resistive banks only. Mind you, many/most of the generators (actually alternators) were for aeronautical applications so operated at 400Hz. At that frequency load banks were fairly reactive anyway.

That said, I can see a case for intentionally reactive load banks. The alternator used at grid frequency is normally based on a 0.8PF. So, a 1,000kVA alternator would need an 800kW prime mover (excluding losses).