Dynamic mechanical load emulation test facility to evaluate the performance of AC inverters

This article describes the design and development of a high-performance test facility to be used for the off-site commissioning and performance evaluation of commercial AC inverters. The test facility comprises a dynamic mechanical loading rig capable of emulating both linear and nonlinear systems. Such a facility provides an excellent platform for commissioning an inverter-motor/drive combination for a specific application before transporting the drive to site. Alternatively, the facility can be employed as a demanding programmable loading system for research and development projects in, for example, novel nonlinear speed and position control algorithms.