Dummy Load
Products > Energy & Trackers
General
The DL series is designed to meet the needs of modern laboratories, industrial environments, and workshops for the testing and characterization of cells, batteries, and generators. Based on a dissipative operating principle, the system ensures high stability and reliable accuracy in voltage and current measurements. The architecture is optimized for testing fully assembled battery packs and supports modular configurations, allowing multiple units to be combined to achieve higher total power dissipation. The DL-1.1, the latest model in the series, supports continuous power dissipation of up to 1.0 kW and is cooled by controlled forced airflow. Higher-power models, up to DL-10.0, are designed for increased dissipation levels, with the DL-10.0 featuring liquid cooling. An intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) enables the configuration of test procedures for virtually any cell type. The control software automatically determines the appropriate cut-off voltage to prevent over-discharge, adapting parameters according to the specific cell chemistry (Pb, NiCd, Lithium-ion, LiFePO₄, LiPo, etc.). All system functions are managed by an embedded processor communicating with an external PC via a USB interface. The software runs on Windows operating systems (32/64-bit) and maintains a continuous connection with the ATEC Robotics data center for real-time device monitoring and predictive maintenance. The PC software automatically generates test certificates, while a dedicated Android application allows remote monitoring of test progress.
Operation modes
DLX.0 supports standard operating modes including constant current (CC), dynamic current, constant power (CP), and constant voltage (CV). The operating mode is selected via the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Additional configuration options are provided to protect both the device under test and the test equipment. For example, during constant current (CC) operation, a maximum power limit can be defined, while constant voltage (CV), constant power (CP), and constant resistance modes allow the definition of a maximum current limit.
All protection limits are automatically calculated by the software and presented to the user for confirmation prior to test execution.
Static and dynamic operations
For static operations, one value can be set via the user interface. During dynamic operations, the user can define a wide range of values to achieve steps in all four physical units U, I, P or R.
Battery test mode
In battery test mode, a battery can be discharged at a constant current or at different values until the battery voltage reaches a threshold that depends on the type of cells. The test then stops automatically and a report with graphs is produced. The discharge time and the amount of charge (Ah) discharged are measured, displayed and printed.
Power derating
The DL series incorporates thermal derating to automatically limit power dissipation and prevent overheating during operation at high load levels. Thermal derating is implemented across all models. For air-cooled base models, the maximum dissipatable power depends on the ambient temperature: lower ambient temperatures improve cooling efficiency and allow higher sustained power levels. To ensure continuous operation at maximum rated power under demanding or extreme environmental conditions, models with liquid cooling are available. In particular, the DL-10.0 is designed for high-power applications and supports continuous power dissipation of up to 10 kW.
Display
All important information is displayed directly on the GUI. Information on actual output values or set values for U, I, P, R, the current control mode (CV, CC, CP, CR), error messages and setup menu settings are all clearly available. Settings for the optional digital interfaces are also displayed.
Remote Status Check
An Android app is supplied with the dummy load to remotely check the status of the current test.
System Bus
The system is equipped with a remote sensing input for ultra-precise evaluation of the input voltage, even if the system is equipped with a method for calculating the voltage drop due to the connection cables.
Water cooling
Liquid cooling, available on the 10 kW model, replaces the standard fan-based cooling system and offers several advantages:
- No hot air discharge into the surrounding environment
- Significantly reduced acoustic noise
- 100% continuous operation at maximum rated power
Fan-cooled models are designed with variable-speed fans, which automatically adjust airflow according to the dissipated power. This ensures efficient cooling and low noise levels during partial-load operation, while maintaining reliable thermal performance across the full operating range.