The Ecosense Programmable Loads Lab is designed to apply controlled electrical loading to a wide range of power sources and systems. Instead of using fixed resistors or passive load banks, this lab enables users to dynamically define how much current, voltage, or power a system must deliver—closely replicating real operating conditions.
At its core, the lab acts as an intelligent electronic load, capable of operating in multiple modes depending on the learning or research objective.
1. Load Connection to Power Sources: The programmable load can be connected to:
- Solar PV systems and inverters
- Wind turbine outputs or emulators
- Fuel cell systems
- Battery energy storage systems
- EV chargers and DC fast chargers
- Grid-tied and standalone inverters
- Microgrid and hybrid energy systems
Once connected, the load draws power in a controlled and measurable manner, allowing accurate performance evaluation of the source.
2. Multiple Load Operating Modes: The system supports multiple programmable modes to simulate different real-world conditions:
- Constant Current (CC) Mode – Maintains a fixed current draw regardless of voltage variation
- Constant Voltage (CV) Mode – Regulates voltage while allowing current to vary
- Constant Power (CP) Mode – Draws a fixed power level, ideal for inverter and battery testing
- Constant Resistance (CR) Mode – Simulates resistive loads with adjustable resistance
Students can instantly switch between modes to study how different load types affect system behavior.
3. Dynamic and Programmable Load Profiles : One of the key strengths of the lab is its ability to run dynamic load profiles, such as:
- Step changes in load
- Ramp-up and ramp-down profiles
- Cyclic or pulsed loads
- Time-based load scheduling
These profiles are essential for studying transient response, stability, control-loop performance, and protection behavior of power electronic systems.
4. Real-Time Measurement and Monitoring: The system continuously measures and displays:
- Voltage
- Current
- Power
- Energy consumption
- Load response over time
Data can be logged for further analysis, enabling students to plot performance curves, compare efficiency under different loads, and validate theoretical calculations.
5. Integration with Control and Research Platforms: The Programmable Loads Lab can be integrated with:
- Energy Management Systems (EMS)
- Microgrid control platforms
- Converter and inverter control experiments
- Algorithm development and validation
Researchers can synchronize load profiles with control algorithms to test system robustness, fault handling, and optimization strategies.
Applications and Learning Outcomes
Using the Programmable Loads Lab, learners can:
- Study source behavior under variable loads
- Test inverter and converter performance
- Validate battery charge/discharge characteristics
- Analyze power quality under dynamic loading
- Perform efficiency and thermal studies
- Simulate real consumer and industrial load patterns
This makes the lab a core utility platform across renewable energy, EV, power electronics, and smart grid education.