DC Electronic Load
DC Electronic
Load is the term used to describe a unit which will
draw power from a dc source such as a dc power supply,
battery, fuel cell, or solar panel etc. Typically the
DC electronic load is used in a test environment and
connected and set up in such a way that it can draw
a specified current irrespective of voltage (constant
current mode), draw a specified power irrespective of
voltage and current (constant power mode), draw current
in such a way as to achieve a specified voltage (constant
voltage mode), or to apply a conductance value equivalent
to the inverse of resistance (1/R) denoted in Siemens
(constant conductance mode).
 The
applications for a DC Electronic Load within a test
environment are primarily for research and development
or for “burn in” where manufactured dc power
products are effectively soak tested following manufacture
and prior to despatch. In some cases a dc electronic
load is useful for setting the output voltage of a device
to a prescribed level as this can be done under load
conditions which are more realistic than if the output
voltage were set under no load conditions.
Traditionally a dc electronic load would convert the
power that it draws into heat which is then dissipated
via a bank of power transistors and heat sinks but over
the last couple of years there has been a move towards
a “greener” solution of recycling the energy
by converting it into AC power and then feeding it back
into the mains.
Simplypowersupplies.com offer the full range of Zentro-Elektrik
DC Electronic Load units, and as sole agent for Zentro
in the UK and Ireland can provide experience and knowledge
to enable customers to select the correct unit for their
application. The smallest dc electronic load units produced
by Zentro are 250W and the largest are 100kW. In contrast
to many other manufacturers there are a number of different
load voltage ranges available, 0-60Vdc, 0-75Vdc, 0-160Vdc,
0-400Vdc, and 0-800Vdc which increases the number of
applications which can be covered. Whilst most load
units offer dramatically reduced power capability at
below 1Vdc, Zentro also offer a Zero Volt DC Electronic
Load where full power can be drawn even at 0Vdc. This
is achieved by the introduction of a 4V power supply
into the base of the DC electronic load to effectively
jack up the voltage seen by the unit when added to the
dc source voltage.
In addition to their extensive experience with DC Electronic
Loads, Zentro-Elektrik also provide a large range of
Variable DC Power Supplies for use in test environments
and can produce systems which integrate both devices
into one automated test cell. These units can be linked
via IEEE488.2 using LabVIEW ® (short for Laboratory
Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench) drivers
and controlled and monitored via a PC.
For more information please click the Electronic Loads
link on the left of this page where you can view the
products by power groupings or select by voltage range
and current required and the site will provide a selection
of suitable units.
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