What it is

A high power DC electronic load family in 150 V, 600 V, and 1,200 V models from 8 kW to 24 kW, with up to 8 units paralleled under Master/Slave control for a maximum of 192 kW.

Each unit has its own control and display panel with CC, CR, CV, CP, and dynamic modes, 150 sets of store and recall memory, and remote control over GPIB, RS-232, USB, and LAN. Dedicated battery discharge modes, inrush current testing, and solar panel MPPT testing are built in.

• Twenty-one models: 150 V, 600 V, and 1,200 V at 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 24 kW
• Maximum power up to 192 kW with up to 8 units of Master/Slave parallel control
• 5-digit voltage, current, and power meter on a large LCD showing all three values at the same time
• Operating modes: CC, CR, CV, CP, CV + current limit, CV + power limit, dynamic, and short circuit
• Four battery discharge modes plus time period, pulse, and RAMP discharge
• Suitable for power factor correction (PFC) testing on the 600 V and 1,200 V models
• Automatic OCP and OPP tests and 150 sets of parameter storage
• Built-in slow starter protects the load when high-voltage batteries or chargers connect directly
• Protection: over current, over power, over temperature, and over voltage warning
• Optional interfaces: GPIB, RS-232, USB, and LAN

What it is used for

Some of the use cases for the PEL-5000C Series include:

• Electric vehicle batteries and chargers — including charging stations
• Battery discharge testing — simulating the discharge current waveform of a running vehicle
• Solar panels — MPPT verification on DC/DC converters
• SMPS transient response — and CV/current limit testing
• ATE systems and production testing, etc.

What does the PEL-5000C Series do?

The GW Instek PEL-5000C series single-channel electronic load provides 150 V, 600 V, and 1,200 V models with a power range of 8 kW to 24 kW. PEL-5000C has a total of 21 models featuring different combinations of power, voltage, and current. It can test and verify the specifications of batteries, electric vehicle chargers and charging stations, electric vehicle batteries, and solar panels. PEL-5000C supports parallel connection for the same voltage specification across different power models, and up to 8 units can be connected in parallel to provide a maximum power of 192 kW.

For the scenario of battery testing, PEL-5000C specifically provides four battery discharge modes, namely CC+CV battery discharge test mode, CP+CV battery discharge test mode, CC+UVP battery discharge test mode, and CP+UVP battery discharge test mode. Users can choose a suitable test mode according to the test requirements. In addition to the four battery discharge modes, PEL-5000C also provides time period discharge, pulse discharge, and RAMP discharge modes. Users can set the discharge time, or discharge in the pulse current mode, or even set the rising and falling slew rate of the discharge current. These functions can be very flexible in the simulation of the battery discharge current waveform when an electric vehicle is running.

In order to meet the verification requirements of different DUTs, PEL-5000C provides a variety of test functions, including inrush current test mode, solar panel MPPT test mode, automated OCP and OPP test functions, and a 150-set parameter storage function. The 1,200 V model of PEL-5000C not only provides full power output at 1,000 V, but also provides 60% power output at 1,200 V output, which is higher than the 50% power output of other manufacturers of similar electronic loads. High-voltage batteries or chargers directly connected to the electronic load may cause damage to the electronic load. PEL-5000C has a built-in slow starter, which not only protects the DC load, but also saves the user's installation cost and setting time for measurement.

Why engineers pick it

• Scales to 192 kW. Master/Slave control parallels up to 8 units, and models of different power can be combined as long as they share the same voltage rating.
• More usable power at 1,200 V. The 1,200 V models give full power to 1,000 V and still deliver 60% power at 1,200 V, against the 50% typical of comparable loads.
• Battery work without scripting. Seven discharge modes cover constant, timed, pulsed, and ramped profiles, so a vehicle duty cycle can be reproduced from the front panel.
• Protects itself on connection. The built-in slow starter guards the load when a high-voltage battery or charger is connected directly, removing external protection hardware from the setup.

Which PEL-5000C model do I need?

The model number gives power, rated voltage, and rated current: for example, PEL-5015C-600-1050 is 15 kW, 600 V, 1,050 A. Pick the voltage class that covers the DUT, then the power. Every unit has two current ranges, Range I at one tenth of Range II, so the smaller range resolves finer current on low-level measurements.

When is the PEL-5000C the wrong choice?

• Low-power bench work. The smallest model is 8 kW at 171 lb (77.5 kg). For lower power, the PEL-3000A/AH Series starts at 175 W.
• Sources below the minimum operating voltage. The 150 V models need 0.7 V at full current, the 600 V models 10 V, and the 1,200 V models 15 V.
• Full power at 1,200 V. The 1,200 V models deliver rated power to 1,000 V and 60% of rated power at 1,200 V.
• Mixing voltage classes in parallel. Parallel operation requires the same voltage specification; only the power rating may differ.
• Hot environments. Operating temperature is 32 … 104 °F (0 … 40 °C).

Configure and order the PEL-5000C

Choose the PEL-5000C model, interface card, and rack mount kit your system needs and order directly on this page. For questions, contact us.