Tom Bishop, P.E.
EASA Senior Technical Support Specialist

The most common method of load testing motors is dynamometer testing. In this article, we will address the reasons for performing load tests as well as methods of load testing motors. Further details on dynamometer testing are given in Tech Note 5 "Dynamometer Testing Electric Motors," which can be found in the EASA Technical Manual. The primary reason for load testing is to verify that the motor produces torque corresponding to the nameplate parameters such as horsepower/kilowatts, speed, voltage and current. If it is a DC motor, another key consideration would be commutation (i.e., to verify that there is no sparking at the brushes).

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