New 200kW load bank designed for integrated systems testing

With more than 40 years of experience in the design, manufacture, sales and rental of load banks and power testing solutions, Crestchic have extensive experience in the data centre sector. Following comprehensive customer research, the team has launched a stackable 200kW loadbank, designed to make heat load testing of server halls and electrical infrastructure simpler, faster, and more efficient.

Paul Brickman, Commercial Director at Crestchic, explains, “Having served the sector for many years, we have been able to collaborate with key customers to get to the crux of what they require from a load bank. By taking that experience and insight back to our engineering team, we have been able to build a solution that fits an exacting specification. The result is a machine that provides an ideal solution for integrated system tests, is easy to operate, and easy to store. As higher data centre density becomes the norm, testing cooling systems and performing integrated systems tests is increasingly important - this product meets that need.”

At just 1159mm x 876mm x 983mm the load bank has a small enough footprint for operators to link multiple machines and strategically place them at intervals around the hall. This makes it possible to closely mimic the heat generated by servers, replicating airflow patterns and rack configuration such as hot and cold isles. Multiple load banks can be configured and controlled using just one LC10 handheld digital controller, enabling fully remote operation and simple management of incremental loads. This allows operators to use up to 20 linked load banks (4MW) to verify that the cooling installation is operating to specification in the server hall and within safe parameters, to check the redundancy of the system should a cooling unit fail, and to verify that there are no hot spots that may require reconfiguration.

In addition to heat load testing, the units are invariably connected to Power Distribution Units (PDUs), facilitating testing of the data centre’s electrical infrastructure, including power to servers, switches, bus track power units, feed tracks, tap offs, and other devices. With heavy duty casters, the new 200kW data centre loadbank has been built for easy manoeuvrability and can be positioned at each PDU in the server hall, for full system testing.

The units have one of the lowest Delta T rises on the market at below 100°C (at the exhaust face), helping to ensure a more accurate simulation of real-world conditions, and providing a more accurate test of the cooling system's ability to handle the actual heat load it will encounter during operation. The load bank boasts a compact, stackable design, enabling the units to be safely stacked two high, reducing the storage footprint when stored. They have also been built to ensure that there are no awkward shapes or protrusions, which could be subject to knocks and bumps. Noise levels are lowest in class at 83dBA at 1m, an important consideration when operating inside

Paul adds, “With the sector now expecting 99.999% uptime as standard, it is important that data centre operators test their critical systems. Using these units for integrated systems testing pushes the systems to their limits by simulating real-world scenarios like full load operation, power outages, and cooling system failures. As well as helping to identify any weaknesses or bottlenecks before critical IT equipment is deployed, the test generates valuable data on system performance under different loads, providing a baseline for future reference that can support maintenance and troubleshooting down the line.”