Avtron 8400
20 ft container resistive-reactive load bank to 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf, which is 5,000 kW, on 1 kW load steps
Avtron 8400 is one of 16 load banks tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.
Avtron 8400 containerised resistive-reactive load bank, up to 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf, 380 to 690 V, 1 kW steps. Specs, siting limits and inspection points.
The Avtron 8400 is a resistive-reactive load bank rated in kVA at 0.8 power factor, built into a 20 ft ISO container with a walk-in control room. Published capacity is 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf at 480 V 60 Hz and 5,000 kVA at 0.8 pf at 400 V 50 Hz. At the 6,250 kVA ceiling that is 5,000 kW of real load plus 3,750 kVAR of lagging reactive load. This is the model Avtron itself puts in front of data centre buyers. It is named in both March 2026 Avtron data centre brochures, Americas and international, as the power system commissioning and maintenance product. Step resolution is 1 kW and 5 kVAR, which resolves 0.02 percent of the resistive component and is fine enough for UPS and static switch work. The container is the product decision. ISO twistlocks and integral forklift pockets on 2050 mm centres mean the same asset is craned onto a truck, shipped, set down and connected, which is what makes it viable for a commissioning firm or rental fleet whose economics depend on utilisation across many jobs. The sibling 8850 carries a lower kVA rating in a longer container because it is the medium-voltage machine. Its integral oil-filled step-down transformer, four-fan transformer cooling compartment and oil bund consume the extra 10 ft and cap capacity 1,250 kVA below this unit. The model number tracks voltage class, not kVA.
Why it matters
The 8400 stands in for a data hall that has no equipment in it yet, at realistic power factor, so the generators and the UPS see a load worth proving against. Its 1 kW step resolves 0.02 percent of the 5,000 kW resistive component, fifty times finer than the resistive 4950's 50 kW step. That resolution is what lets an engineer trim load onto and off a UPS module rather than stepping it.
Who buys it
Commissioning agents, rental fleets and large owners running multi-megawatt acceptance campaigns where the same asset must move between sites. Avtron names it directly for data centre power system commissioning and maintenance in both March 2026 brochures. A buyer installing test capability once and never moving it should compare the skid-mounted 7900, which reaches the same 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf without container content.
Role in the data center
Named by Avtron in both March 2026 data centre brochures for power system commissioning and maintenance. It provides the block load that stands in for an empty data hall during Level 5 integrated systems testing, at 0.8 pf so generators and UPS see realistic conditions. The 1 kW step supports UPS and static switch work where load must be trimmed rather than stepped. Because it is containerised it also serves capacity maintenance testing on live campuses, trucked between buildings.
Key specifications
| Rated capacity, standard maximum | up to 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf |
|---|---|
| Capacity at 480 V, 60 Hz | 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf |
| Capacity at 400 V, 50 Hz | 5,000 kVA at 0.8 pf |
| Real component at 6,250 kVA | 5,000 kW (computed, 6,250 x 0.8) |
| Reactive component at 6,250 kVA | 3,750 kVAR (computed, 6,250 x 0.6) |
| Load step resolution | 1 kW / 5 kVAR |
| Voltage range | 380 to 690 V, capacity varies with voltage |
| Line current at 6,250 kVA, 480 V | 7,518 A (computed, 6,250,000 / (1.732 x 480)) |
| Frequency | 50, 60 Hz |
| Container envelope | 6100 x 2440 x 2590 mm, 20 ft ISO |
| Overall dimensions with louvres and hoods | 6058 x 2677 x 3029 mm |
| Weight, pub 5024 rev F data sheet and GA drawing | approximately 16,500 (36,376 lb) kg |
| Weight, 8000 Series user manual | approximately 16,000 kg |
| Cooling fans and airflow | 4 fans, 35 at 60 Hz and 28 at 50 Hz m3/s combined both resistor ducts |
| Clearance, intake side and above outlet | 2 and 5 m |
| Noise | 88 dBA at 50 Hz, 3 m at 90 degrees to airflow |
| Ambient rating | 35 standard, 50 optional deg C, protected from solar radiation |
Technical summary
Capacity: up to 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf, not kW; 5,000 kVA at 400 V 50 Hz. Components at 6,250 kVA: 5,000 kW real plus 3,750 kVAR lagging. Load step: 1 kW and 5 kVAR, independently switchable for variable power factor. Voltage: 380 to 690 V, capacity varying by voltage; 50 and 60 Hz. Container: 20 ft ISO, 6100 x 2440 x 2590 mm; overall with louvres 6058 x 2677 x 3029 mm. Weight: approximately 16,500 kg (36,376 lb); the user manual says approximately 16,000 kg. Cooling: four fans, 35 m3/s at 60 Hz and 28 m3/s at 50 Hz, 8 powered inlet louvres. Clearance: at least 2 m on the air intake side and 5 m above the air outlet. Cable entry: two 450 x 280 mm gland plates plus a 963 x 250 mm floor terminal plate. Ambient: 35 deg C standard, 50 deg C option, up to 90 percent RH non-condensing. Control: SIGMA 2 with rail mounted contactors. Noise: 88 dBA at 50 Hz measured 3 m away at 90 degrees to airflow.
Major variations
Capacity is voltage-dependent across 380 to 690 V, and Avtron states plainly that capacity will vary depending on voltage. Published points are 6,250 kVA at 0.8 pf at 480 V 60 Hz and 5,000 kVA at 0.8 pf at 400 V 50 Hz. No capacity-versus-voltage table is published for the rest of the range. Static and movable builds both exist: the general arrangement drawing is labelled static, while the data sheet describes movable units connecting through an IEC 60309-2 plug and socket. Breakers are offered as IEC power isolation or a dual UL and IEC option. Ambient is 35 deg C standard with a 50 deg C option, which is a real cost and capacity lever in hot climates.
Configurations and options
SIGMA 2 control with rail mounted contactors, described by Avtron as allowing greater load selection and fine tuning, which is a vendor claim. The wider SIGMA platform networks several containers with Modbus support and SIGMA Unity software. A walk-in control room with a 960 x 250 mm aperture gives operator access inside the container envelope. Cable entry options include two 450 x 280 mm main gland plates, a 963 x 250 mm floor terminal plate, a 300 x 300 mm bottom aperture and two 605 x 288 mm side doors.
Compatibility and dependencies
Siting is what decides whether this unit can run at a given location. Avtron requires at least 2 m of clear space on the air intake side and 5 m of clear space above the air outlet, and on a built-out data centre site the 5 m overhead figure is frequently the binding constraint rather than the pad or the cable route. Cooling is air only at 35 m3/s, so no chilled water or external coolant tie-in is needed. Transport is the second constraint. The container envelope is a standard 6100 x 2440 x 2590 mm 20 ft ISO box, but overall dimensions with louvres and discharge hoods are 6058 x 2677 x 3029 mm, roughly 239 mm over standard ISO width and 438 mm over standard ISO height.
Pricing and availability
Comparable secondary-market band: 49.78–70.54 $ per kW of real component. Trend: stable No price series exists for this model. The resistive-reactive class carries no published price at any condition tier. One structural finding does apply above 1.5 MW: used dollars per kW does not fall with scale the way new dollars per kW does, so used asks in the megawatt class can exceed new list per kilowatt. Lead time, new: No 8000 Series unit appears on Avtron's stock list, whose line items are all resistive and 2,000 kW or below. The 8400 is configured to voltage and frequency at order, so it is made to order. The only numeric new lead time in this category is a 3 to 4 week quick-ship on four 4800 Series builds, which must not be carried across.. Lead time, used or refurbished: No used 8400 listed as of August 2026.. Warranty, new: The sibling 8850 sheet publishes 24 months per Avtron's Conditions of Trade, so confirm in writing at order.. Warranty, used: No used 8400 listed as of August 2026; confirm any remaining OEM warranty with the seller..
Lifecycle and maintenance
No MTBF or design life is published. The 8000 Series user manual does publish a maintenance interval structure of Daily, Monthly and Annually, plus a separate air circuit breaker maintenance section for that option. The four documented fault conditions define the monitored failure set: Over Temperature, Fan Tripped, Air Flow Failure and Supply Over Limits. Lifting requires that all available ISO twistlock points be used, with all doors and louvre covers closed and locked before the unit moves. Wear runs contactors and fan bearings first, controls next, resistive elements last. Only the real component draws fuel: 5,000 kW of the 6,250 kVA, so a four-hour run takes 20,000 kWh, rejected upward at 35 m3/s with 88 dBA at 3 m as the property-line figure.
Thermal and emissions profile
No on-site combustion and no direct emissions. At up to 6,250 kVA and 0.8 power factor the resistive section rejects on the order of 5,000 kW as heat through the container roof discharge, with the reactive section adding only its own losses. Because the unit arrives as a 20 ft ISO container, the thermal plume and the crane or trailer footprint are planned together; emissions during a test belong to the source under test.
Common failure points
- Cooling fans — Fan Tripped or Air Flow Failure alarm, or over-temperature trip under sustained load
- Air inlet louvre actuators — Airflow failure alarm with all fans confirmed running
- Rail mounted load contactors — A 1 kW or 5 kVAR step fails to pick up, or achieved load reads short by a fixed amount
- Reactor and inductive section — Achieved power factor drifts off target while the kW component reads correct
- Cable terminations and gland plates — Hot spots on thermal scan at one gland plate, or insulation resistance falling at the incoming terminals
- Container corrosion — Rust at corner castings, roof rails and door frames, especially after marine or coastal work
- Over-temperature interlock — Nuisance trips at high ambient, or an interlock that never trips because it has been defeated
Inspection checklist
Rating unit on the nameplate: confirm kVA at 0.8 pf and not kW, since 6,250 kVA is 5,000 kW plus 3,750 kVAR and is routinely miscatalogued as 6,250 kW. Voltage and capacity together: capacity varies with voltage across the 380 to 690 V range, so read both from the plate; 6,250 kVA is the 480 V 60 Hz figure and 5,000 kVA the 400 V 50 Hz figure. Step resolution proof: verify the published 1 kW and 5 kVAR steps switch, since rail mounted contactors are the wear item and a dead step is invisible until fine trim is needed. All four fans: run each of the 4 fans, confirm rotation, and log current, because combined duty is 35 m3/s at 60 Hz and 28 m3/s at 50 Hz across both resistor ducts. Air inlet louvres: all 8 are electrically operated, so cycle every one and check the actuator, since a stuck-closed louvre causes an airflow trip under load and not before.
Procurement channels
New through Avtron and its distributors, quote-only for this class. Curtis Power Solutions is the only reseller carrying this family as of August 2026, listing it as the ASCO Froment 8000 Series containerised range at 1,600 to 6,000 kW or 1,500 to 6,000 kVA, with no prices. SteadyPower publishes prices for 24 Avtron resistive builds and none for any containerised or resistive-reactive unit. Rental is a live channel for this class even though rates are withheld. Sunbelt catalogues a 6,250 kVA resistive-reactive unit and United Rentals catalogues 3,700 kVA and 5,000 kW resistive-reactive line items. Avtron states it does not rent its own equipment and refers buyers to rental companies.
Regional notes
Built for both markets: 50 and 60 Hz, 380 to 690 V, with IEC power isolation breakers standard and a dual UL and IEC breaker option that implies a North American build path. No NRTL listing file number is published. The 8400 appears in both the Americas and international March 2026 data centre brochures, unlike the 8850 which appears only in the international edition.