Why is test and measurement equipment essential?

High-power testing involves unique risks. Accurate measurements are therefore crucial with regard to:

1. Safety: High power ratings entail risks such as overheating, short circuits or component failures.
2. Efficiency optimisation: Measuring losses in systems is crucial to making them more efficient.
3. Reliability: Tests help to ensure that equipment can function for long periods without failure.
4. Compliance with standards: There are strict international standards (such as IEC, IEEE) that require equipment to be tested for performance, emissions, and safety.
5. Fault diagnosis: In the event of faults, measuring equipment can help identify the cause.

High-power electrical test setups are available in various configurations and, depending on the application, often include a 1/3 phase AC grid emulator, bi-directional DC power supplies for DC grid emulation, solar panel simulation, battery simulation and charge/discharge testing, for example. This bi-directional power test equipment can be used as a programmable SOURCE and as a regenerative LOAD.

For accurate measurement and analysis of electrical power and, for example, efficiency measurements, a Power Analyzer can be used in combination with an active current measurement system based on Zero-Flux technology.

Typical test setups in the MW range

A modern high-power test environment typically consists of:

•            AC Grid Emulator: 1- or 3-phase emulation of the public grid. This enables test engineers to evaluate the behaviour of equipment under various grid conditions, such as voltage dips, harmonics or grid frequency variations. It is essential for testing converters, energy storage and grid-connected systems.

•            Bi-directional DC power supplies: For simulating DC grids or battery behaviour. These supplies can both supply and absorb power, which is crucial for testing charging and discharging scenarios, energy storage modules, or DC microgrid components. They are programmable for dynamic profiles and cycle repetition.

•            Regenerative Load Functions: Feed energy back into the grid. This function enables efficient energy recovery during test processes, reduces heat generation in test environments and lowers operating costs. At the same time, it allows real load conditions to be simulated for motor controllers or power converters, for example.

Advanced measuring instruments for current, voltage and power analysis

These instruments include:

• High-Precision Power Analyzers: For real-time measurement of active, reactive and apparent power, with high sampling frequency and low measurement error.
• Zero-Flux Current Transducers: Based on fluxgate or Hall effect technology, for accurate current measurements without offset.
• Digital oscilloscopes with high bandwidth differential probes: For capturing transients and switching behaviour.
• Multi-channel data loggers: For long-term monitoring of voltages, currents and temperatures.

These components make it possible to perform realistic and repeatable tests at power levels of up to several MW, while maintaining grid stability and minimising environmental impact.

Functional Advantages of Modern MW AC/DC Test Systems

• Parallel configurations for scalability up to several MW.
• Parallel configurations for scalability up to several MW.
• Programmability: Via SCPI, LabView, Python or other protocols.
• Emulation and simulation functions: For batteries, DC grids, and charging profiles.

Perspective for the future

The demand for powerful, flexible test solutions will only increase. Think of 10+ MW test setups for electrolysis hubs, microgrids or mega charging systems for aviation applications. The combination of SiC technology, modular architecture and digital control provides a robust basis for future testing needs.

Conclusion

Megawatt AC/DC power test systems are at the heart of modern power validation. With the advent of standardisable, efficient and programmable solutions, a new standard is being set in the world of electrical test and measurement equipment. Manufacturers, engineers and test laboratories now have the tools to safely and effectively test tomorrow’s energy applications today.

Expertise TT&MS BV

Our expertise lies in the field of power, such as AC/DC power supplies, (regenerative) electronic loads, grid emulators, high-voltage power supplies, four-quadrant power supplies and four-quadrant amplifiers, bi-directional power supplies, general electrical test and measurement instrumentation, and test systems. By combining your knowledge with ours, we can arrive at the most effective test and measurement solution specifically for your application.