Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/488587
20 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com u sing today's technologies, many of these objectives can be met without compromise by applying proper design engineering and following a few key rules: keep it simple, work as a team, conduct factory testing and consoli- date the individual pieces into integrated sections. kiss: keeP it simPle, stuPiD "Keep it simple, stupid." We have all heard this saying many times, but it especially rings true for data center infrastructure designs. As technology improves, many more-complicated op- tions using power tie systems and system synchronization become viable. Unfortu- nately, when the critical power infra- structure becomes complicated, it can also become difficult to manage. Keeping designs simple reduces operator error and adds reliability. For example, some data centers use closed transition (Diagram 1) transfers between the generator and the utility for times of planned switches. is approach adds a layer of difficulty and introduces a point of failure to the system. e system's UPS is designed to bridge the gap during this type of transfer. Creating an open transition (Diagram 2) simplifies the process and allows the UPS to make the transition. is is one of many examples where the design becomes more complicated and ultimately reduces reliability. Simple solutions include isolated A/B distribution systems, each operating in an N+1 configuration. e more iso- lated each distribution system, the more reliable the solution will become. Since most loads can operate with redundant power supplies, this solution is simple yet reliable for most data centers. For those critical loads that have a single power supply, however, the A and B systems will need to merge at some point to offer redundancy. is merging is typically accomplished through static transfer switches at some point aer the UPS. Work as a team It takes a team to be successful. e engineering team for the generator manufacturer will know more about the generator system than anyone else on the project. e engineering team for the UPS manufacturer will know more about the operation of the UPS than anyone else on the project. e engineer on record has the responsibility of bringing all of that knowledge together and delivering a reli- able yet simple solution to the customer. erefore, it makes sense to apply a team approach and have the generator engineer, the UPS engineer, the cooling engineer, the electrical contractor and any other applicable engineers work together with the engineer on record and the customer to design the data center together. e success rate is higher when the engineers work as a team to develop the design. In the past, the critical infrastructure was chosen aer the design was complet- ed, allowing multiple vendors to bid on a project. In today's world, more customers are "partnering" with specific vendors to allow them the opportunity to be involved in the design process. In doing so, the critical infrastructure vendors are allowed to work as a team to prevent last-minute issues once the equipment arrives on site and the commissioning process begins. More importantly, this engineering team is able to identify and avoid potential de- sign issues, which could prove to be time consuming and costly. By using a team approach to the design of the data center, the customer and data center design engineer can use the knowledge and history that the "team" can offer. e team should also include the commissioning agent, the general con- tractor and the electrical contractor. As we all know, issues will surface with any data center during the commis- sioning stage. Working together in the Diagram 1: Actual Data Center Critical Power One Line with closed transitions, including the generator to utility transfers.