power-hungry
Of a device, using or requiring a large amount of electrical power.
power-hungry: when a device drains more current than expected
A power-hungry device is one that draws substantially more electrical current than its peers, or more than a system's power supply was designed to handle. In industrial settings, this typically means equipment that consumes several kilowatts continuously, or that demands sudden current spikes during startup or operation. The term is descriptive rather than pejorative: some machines are legitimately power-hungry by nature because the work they perform is inherently energy-intensive.
Electric motors are classically power-hungry, particularly three-phase induction motors above 5 kW. A 15 kW spindle motor in a CNC machine, for example, will demand 20 to 30 amps at full load on a 400 V supply. Resistance heating elements, welding equipment, and large compressors belong in the same category. Even modern switching power supplies feeding multiple circuit boards can draw 100+ amps during transient operation if they drive high-capacitance loads.
Why it matters in practice
Power-hungry equipment creates real problems downstream. It can cause voltage sag on distribution panels if the facility's incoming service is undersized, starving other machines of stable voltage. Soft starters and variable frequency drives exist partly to limit inrush current when power-hungry motors accelerate. Undersized cabling to a power-hungry device will overheat, and undersized circuit protection will nuisance-trip. Some plants must negotiate with their utility provider for higher service capacity simply because a new power-hungry machine is being installed.
The term also flags thermal management as a concern: power-hungry devices generate proportional waste heat. An industrial oven or kiln rated at 25 kW, for instance, must be installed with adequate ventilation or cooling water circulation. In data centers, power-hungry servers drive up cooling costs as much as they drive up the electrical bill.
Selecting a power-hungry device demands honest accounting of the site's electrical infrastructure before purchase. Specifications sheets list nameplate power in watts or kilowatts, but the real inrush current on a three-phase motor startup can exceed running current by 6 or 7 times, at least for the first few cycles. Accounting for this peak demand prevents the frustration of a new machine that trips the main breaker on first run.