CRITICAL POWER

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems are responsible for providing clean, dependable power for critical computer systems that cannot be interrupted.

Common Utility Problems:

• Power Failure
• Surges
• Spikes
• Noise
• Frequency Instability
• Harmonic Distortion

Combined with UPS batteries and/or back-up generators, the Uninterruptible Power Supply system is designed to help groom power and to withstand a utility power failure-thus preventing unplanned downtime to critical IT equipment. UPS systems are crucial to data center operations.

The primary purpose of battery backup power supply (through UPS batteries) is to support the critical load during a time of utility outage or whenever the utility power is out of the standard operating range. The generators will then supply power to all critical equipment, if they are available.

UPS batteries can represent a single point of failure in the event of a utility outage. For that reason, battery backup power supply should be tested often and monitored to ensure all components operate according to the manufacturer’s specifications and to give you (and upper management) peace of mind.

Backup power supply generators power data centers or other critical environments in the event of a utility outage. If a backup generator is not present, all critical and non-critical systems will cease to operate – resulting in unplanned downtime. In an unprotected environment, all critical equipment eventually will experience a hard shut-down.Not only do you risk significant damage but hours of productivity are lost to reboot cycles. If you do not have a backup power supply at your facility, and you experience a loss of utility power for longer than your UPS batteries can last, your data center will crash.

Even after utility power resumes, it could take days, even weeks, before all systems again are operational. The amount of data lost due to the outage can be substantial, even if you have periodic system backups.

The purpose of a backup power supply is to ensure power is available when utility power is interrupted. In the event of a utility power outage, the UPS batteries will take the critical electrical load for the few seconds required to start the emergency generator. UPS batteries are not a long-term (more than a few minutes) solution to a power outage. However, they provide a vital bridge between the grid and an enterprise’s backup generators.

Generators can provide reliable power for hours or for days. However, if your operation relies on a single generator and it fails, the batteries in the UPS system will not be able to handle the critical electrical load for a long period of time. This will result in costly downtime. For that reason, DP Air recommends dual redundant generators for critical systems, if possible.

Every company knows the importance of uptime and how detrimental downtime is to their bottom line. That is why you take precautions against costly downtime by installing a generator at your site.

However, you might not be aware that generators, too, require regular preventive maintenance. Generators must be started and tested at regular intervals. Fresh fuel must be provided. The fuel in diesel-powered generators can become unstable and cause generator failure at a crucial time. Did you know that living organisms can thrive in your diesel fuel tank? These organisms can clog fuel filters and cause generator failure. DP Air is proud to offer Fuel Testing and Filtration Services in Arizona.

Paralleling equipment provides a means to tie multiple Uninterrupted Power Supply systems or generators together on a single electrical bus to provide greater amounts of energy or redundancy than a single component can provide. Switchgear is used throughout the critical environment including at the utility level, UPS level and generator level.

At the utility level, paralleling switchgear can be used to manage electrical distribution to the building and can even parallel the utility to a generator plant providing a closed transition. This allows the facility to change from utility to generator during a planned event without an interruption of power to the facility.

At the UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) level, paralleling switchgear is used to tie multiple UPS module outputs together. It can also isolate each UPS module from the critical load distribution buss. This isolation allows for specific equipment to be taken off-line for routine or emergency service without taking down the entire facility or interrupting critical business operation.

Switchgear at the generator level is used to ensure multiple generators operate together to support the electrical needs of the facility.

• Power Distribution Units
• Surge Suppression Devices
• Automatic Transfer Switches
• Maintenance Bypass Switches
• Power Systems Monitoring