Load banks apply electrical load to a circuit by converting electrical power to heat. To operate properly, this heat must be removed by providing adequate airflow through the unit. Consequently, proper clearances must be maintained around load banks to avoid overheating and other undesirable conditions. To do so, the following guidelines should be observed.
Airflow Requirements
When operating, a load bank will require a steady airflow at a specified rate to provide full performance. For example, an ASCO 3000 SERIES load bank (low voltage up to 2200 kilowatts) can require up to 12.5 meters/second (~44 cubic feet per second) of airflow under normal operation. Horizontal discharge models require clearances of 1 meter (~3.3 feet) from their intakes and 5 meters (~16.5 feet) from their exhausts. Vertical discharge models also require clear space above the exhaust discharge.
The need for these clearances is two-fold. First, the presence of a wall, corner, other equipment, or any number of other items close to intake or exhaust openings can reduce airflow through the unit, possibly reducing its efficiency and effectiveness and leading to overheating. A second reason is that exhaust temperatures can reach levels that can damage materials and injure people, so sufficient space is required to safely discharge and sufficiently defuse the warm air stream.
Minimum clearances for space surrounding ASCO load banks can be found in the operating manual for each model. The following table lists required clearances for several ASCO product lines and provides links to their manuals. Note that other models may use serial number-specific manuals to provide this information. Contact ASCO for additional information on models not listed here.
Airflow Requirements
When operating, a load bank will require a steady airflow at a specified rate to provide full performance. For example, an ASCO 3000 SERIES load bank (low voltage up to 2200 kilowatts) can require up to 12.5 meters/second (~44 cubic feet per second) of airflow under normal operation. Horizontal discharge models require clearances of 1 meter (~3.3 feet) from their intakes and 5 meters (~16.5 feet) from their exhausts. Vertical discharge models also require clear space above the exhaust discharge.
The need for these clearances is two-fold. First, the presence of a wall, corner, other equipment, or any number of other items close to intake or exhaust openings can reduce airflow through the unit, possibly reducing its efficiency and effectiveness and leading to overheating. A second reason is that exhaust temperatures can reach levels that can damage materials and injure people, so sufficient space is required to safely discharge and sufficiently defuse the warm air stream.
Minimum clearances for space surrounding ASCO load banks can be found in the operating manual for each model. The following table lists required clearances for several ASCO product lines and provides links to their manuals. Note that other models may use serial number-specific manuals to provide this information. Contact ASCO for additional information on models not listed here.
