Load

How it is used

Used in power systems, supplies and testing. Equipment runs at full load, at no load or under load; you connect, disconnect, shed or balance loads. Common terms are load current, peak load, resistive load, inductive load and load test.

Example sentences

1. The voltage is fine with no load, but it drops as soon as the load is connected.

2. We have to shed some load during peak hours.

Common collocations

• full load
• no load
• under load
• inductive load
• load current

Related terms

• powerThe rate at which electrical energy is used or delivered. In a DC circuit it equals voltage multiplied by current, and it is measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).
• currentThe flow of electric charge through a conductor, such as a wire or a component. It is measured in amperes (A), which engineers usually just call amps.
• overloadA condition in which a circuit, cable or machine carries more current or power than it is rated for over a period of time. Unlike a short circuit, it builds up heat gradually.
• three-phaseDescribing an AC system with three voltages of the same frequency, each shifted by 120 degrees from the others. It is used to transmit power and run large motors efficiently.
• power supplyA device or circuit that provides the voltage and current a system needs, usually by converting mains AC into a regulated DC output. A bench power supply is the adjustable unit on a lab desk.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• load · Mechanical Engineering
• load · Civil Engineering & Construction
• load · Energy & Renewables

More terms: Power Systems and Electrical Machines

• transformer
• motor
• battery
• generator
• inverter
• rectifier
• phase
• grid
• substation
• transmission line