As artificial intelligence (AI) quantum computing capabilities evolve and our reliance on our cloud data increases, the electricity demand on many of the UK’s data centres is continuing to build.
While power consumption remains a concern for data centre operators and managers, it’s also important to assess the stability of any incoming power voltages and frequencies to prevent issues from occurring later. If left unattended, these power issues will reduce energy efficiency and cause lasting, costly damage to electrical equipment on site.
Negative consequences include data processing errors and losses, printed circuit board (PCB) failures, recurring service outages, and unexpected data centre power outages.
Left unprotected, data centres are vulnerable to various power source issues. These include voltage sags, swells and spikes, or fluctuations of voltage at the power frequency that exceed the normal level. As well as this, non-linear loads like variable frequency drives in cooling and ventilation equipment can introduce harmonics — causing electronic and processing equipment to overheat and disrupting operations.
The trouble with poor data centre power quality
Voltage and supply issues can have far-reaching consequences for data centres, ranging from short-term inconveniences to expensive, lasting damage that can cause extensive power outages.
Some of the effects include:
- Flickering lights
- Overheated equipment
- Corrupted files
- Unexpected, random power failure
In our experience, older and smaller data centres are most vulnerable because they often lack even basic power measurement and mitigation systems. If so, data centre operators and engineers will only become aware of potential issues when IT support staff report any irregularities. Even when redundant A-B power paths exit, if one side of redundant circuits fails, IT administrators may not be aware of the scale of the infrastructure’s exposure to these issues because any equipment with dual power supplies will continue to operate.
Even larger, more modern data centres are not completely safe, even though they may have installed comprehensive power measurement devices at the branch circuit level. Since the Engineering Recommendation G5/5 extended the values for planning and compatibility levels to the 100th order (5 kHz), many standard measurement devices are yet to catch up. Therefore, it’s unlikely that many current systems can measure beyond the 50th harmonic, leaving operators in the dark
Measuring and monitoring data centre power
Rapid detection is crucial when working with electrical infrastructure: transients can appear, cause damage, and disappear in a few millionths of a second. A voltage spike typically lasts one to 30 microseconds and can reach over 1,000 volts.
Power quality meters are an important tool in any operator or power engineer’s toolkit. These devices can strategically sample the AC voltage in a power source at different points and locations so that users can track slowly changing variations in the electrical waveform. With these insights, data centre operators can root out problems and understand their effects before they cause lasting damage on the site’s IT infrastructure and any equipment within.
Many low-level power and energy meters will measure things like voltage, current, and power factor — but not much else. Meanwhile, Class A meters and analysers can provide more advanced troubleshooting of the complex electrical systems and infrastructure typically found in data centres. They’re like the gold standard of power quality meters — not only can they measure up to the 100th harmonic, but they also provide the accuracy needed to inform discussions with the distribution network operator (DNO).
When selecting a power quality meter for your data centre, there are two categories to choose from:
- Fixed meters
- Portable meters
Usually, the choice of meter will depend on the duration and how long you want to monitor the system. On the one hand, if a PCB randomly fails or lights flicker, installing a portable meter can help you perform spot checks and gain insights at different locations across your facility. For instance, portable analysers can detect any changes in low-voltage, medium-power systems, like spikes in energy consumption.
On the other hand, by strategically installing fixed analysers, operators can conduct root-cause analysis by mapping long-term trends. We usually suggest installing fixed meters at different locations and recording data over several weeks or months to get a more complete picture. For example, data centre engineers can use a fixed meter to pinpoint the time when harmonics were first detected in the system, and when this caused energy consumption to spike.
Preventing data centre power outages with mitigation
Once you’ve detected an issue in your data centre, we can help you resolve it using various mitigation devices from our partners.
If harmonic noise has been detected, we can recommend and install a harmonic filter to reduce the distortion to an acceptable level that meets Engineering Recommendation G5/5 and other industry standards.
Meanwhile, if lightning or faulty power correction switching has caused transient voltages, we can protect the sensitive equipment in your facility using SineTamer® — a type of transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) device.
For your data centre, we offer a range of power quality mitigation devices, including:
- SineTamer® transient voltage surge protection
- (TVSS) devices
- Active, passive and hybrid harmonic filters
- Power factor correction and static var generator
- (PFC/SVG) equipment
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices
- Dynamic voltage restorers (DVR)
For more information on any of these products and how they can help your data centre, just ask our power quality support team — we’re always on hand to help!
Trusted support for data centre engineers
With energy demand on data centres, there’s a greater need than ever for operators to be proactive to avoid the issues that may follow. This means routinely assessing the likelihood of harmonic distortion and other noise impact electrical equipment — and seeking specialist, technical support.
As a trusted power quality partner, we understand the entire frequency spectrum and can recommend measurement and mitigation solutions for every point. Our engineers are proficient in power quality beyond the 50th order and we use equipment that can measure beyond this level. Therefore, you can be confident that whatever the issue, we can identify and resolve it.
Once we get to your data centre, we can provide on-hand support with our M.A.R.S. offering, which stands for:
- Measure
- Analyse
- Report
- Solve
As part of this service, our engineers will capture, review, and analyse any power quality data, including instances of harmonics, and feed it back to you in a detailed report and action plan. From this report, we can suggest and supply an appropriate solution for any issues present.
Want to improve your data centre power quality?
If you’re concerned that poor power quality is putting your data centre at risk, work with an experienced partner like CP Automation to help you stay online. Contact us and find out how we can support you.
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