Regenerative Loading Method Used for Heavy Load Measurement and Burn-in Testing

DC-DC converters are usually subjected to long hours of burn-in testing to ensure their reliability. This is often performed using large and costly setups with dissipative loads that waste a lot of energy. Previous researchers used an energy recycling technique using an active load that returns the power to the source. This results in a significant amount of energy saving as compared to a conventional loading approach. This paper presents a variation of the technique which allows the testing of other devices aside from a DC-DC converter. Its effect on the loop response is observed to ensure stability. The technique is implemented on a thermal measurement of a 12kW switch using an active load that is made of a 17-phase 12kW multiphase boost converter. The full power capability of the switch is accomplished using only a 1.3kW DC source power and a 1kW of electronic load power.