Intelligent load banks in data centers, why and what for?

A power failure causes huge losses due to downtime. According to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), 98% of power outages last less than 10 seconds . But those 10 seconds are devastating. With an approximate cost of $5,600 per minute of inactivity, companies invest in systems that ensure the continuity of their infrastructures. Load banks are essential elements for testing and ensuring the desired continuity. They simulate varying electrical load conditions in a data center and test its resilience through different scenarios.

Read on, we’ll show you why using smart load banks in data centers is a good idea.

What are load banks

In modern data centers, there are a multitude of electrical components. The availability of these digital infrastructures largely depends on their proper functioning. Load banks are systems that verify , monitor, and test power supplies in a data center. The goal is to ensure efficient operation and reduce downtime.

They do this by testing electrical systems, subjecting them to stress tests to detect possible faults, breakdowns or inadequate loads. The main advantage is that the power systems and their power are checked without the need to interrupt critical loads Among its advantages, continuity of service is not compromised, system vulnerabilities are detected and the cycle useful life of components such as diesel engines or UPS batteries is optimized.

In a data center, these systems are mainly used for this type of use:

• Commissioning / commissioning
• Maintenance
• Component replacement
• Periodic tests of standby and/or standby generators
• UPS Systems Testing
• Start-up and commissioning of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
• Rack in Servers

Load banks can be portable or permanently installed and can be rented or purchased for specific operations or for verification testing prior to commissioning of data center facilities.

Commissioning and testing of load banks

One of the applications for which load bank testing is particularly recommended in a data center is the Commissioning phase (commissioning). It is in this phase that all systems and components of a data center are verified, validated and verified that they have been installed according to the requirements designed by the end user.

The problem is that the actual load is usually not available in the initial stages of a data center. The reason for this is that they plan to expand gradually over time and adapt the power consumption to the expansion of the data center. In these cases, load banks are the most reliable way to simulate the real load in a practical way and ensure the safety of all components.

But it is not only suitable for simulating the actual power supply conditions, but also for the whole verification process. There are many critical elements that need to be validated, without taking anything for granted, at this stage. UPS systems, HVAC systems, emergency diesel generators, server racks, etc.

Load bank for commissioning air conditioning systems

They make it possible to check, control and test the cooling systems of a data center during the Phase 4 and Phase 5 of commissioning, as well as evaluating the efficiency and performance of air conditioning and other systems installed in the data center prior to operation of the data center.

Using load banks, it can be determined:

• if the air conditioning system is well sized
• if the air flow is well distributed
• Whether the standby equipment works properly in the event of a temperature increase or failure of other air conditioning equipment.

It also makes it possible to test the correct configuration, the thermal jumps between the hot and cold aisles, to calculate the recirculation, the by-pass and to adjust the air flows of the cooling system.

Load bank monitoring

Intelligent load banks (SMART) make it possible to control all the parameters necessary for decision-making, to verify, validate, evaluate efficiency and performance before putting the data center into service with IT equipment.

These load banks continuously record power consumption, airflows, temperatures and thermal jumps, among other parameters, in each of the scenarios in which the commissioning tests are carried out.

The availability of a data center, as well as its high performance, depends, to a large extent, on proper commissioning and, in this, load banks have a lot to say.