Efficient testing of electric drive components on a test bed with energy recuperation

Complexity of modern electric drives demands high reliability of its components. In this paper an energy efficient testing of converted-fed electric drives is presented. A DC link connection between two converters, which supply braking and tested machine, enables energy recuperation. The software solution provides five different testing modes such as: manual control of only one motor, manual control of synchronized machines, fully automated measurement of various characteristics (torque, efficiency...), loading according to user-defined function and loading using periodical reference signal. Experimental results of presented tests confirm versatility of the test bed. Such test bed is not only useful for industrial testing but can also be exploited in educational process and in research activities.