Caterpillar 3512 1500kW Generator Set Load Test

[bobbj77]

Our 1MW sets use 200 liters an hour each at full load

[mfanady]

Have you ever looked into selling that power back to the grid? Pushing a megawatt for an hour must add up to some serious money, at least enough to subsidize some of the cost of the diesel fuel for your tests. I wonder how much the equipment would cost to do this.

[bdosborn]

Google True, Reactive, and Apparent power.

[bdosborn]

Hmm, looks like they tested it without the silencer. Doesn't that affect engine output when a silencer is added? It also looks like it was tested with a purely resistive load bank at unity PF, doesn't that leave 20% of the alternator capacity untested?

[MrShawn305]

@bdosborn I was under the impression that load is load. What is it about a resistive load (like a hair dryer) that is different?

[NoCoFire]

How long does a load test have to last?

[robinsod1973]

the load bank is a big hair dryer.

[bobl78]

Wow, 1500KW must be a lot of heat

[bobl78]

What is used as a load ? Where do all the amps go at the load ? Generated to heat ?

[depcopower]

The load is the Saturn load bank, big gray box t the left of the unit, it creates load by generating heat.

[85ZingoGTR]

@bobl78 It's basically a box, that has large resistors that simulates a building with load. They're usually carried on trailers and the sales rep for the generator will rent them to test newly installed generators. The Load Bank can be set to give a generator different load settings from 0% to 100% load.

[85ZingoGTR]

@bobl78 Typical tests vary, but normally a newly installed generator will be given a 25% extra load every 30 mins until you get to 100% then kept at 100% for an hour or two. Then the load is removed by 25% every 30 mins. The idea of the test is to see how the generator responds to the changes in load, make sure the voltage regulator and governor keeps the Volt and Hertz requirements, and make sure the generator doesn't trip on any of its safeties during the load changes.

[1973RoadRunner440]

Who cares if it's old. It's a Caterpillar, it'll last forever.

[thedieselexpert]

Maybe a little old, but very clean and runs extremely well. These guys do a great job testing their units.

[sarbeq]

very old model ,