The Fundamentals of Power

Transcript

Slide 1: The Fundamentals of Power

Welcome to the Fundamentals of Power.

Slide 2: Welcome

For best viewing results, we recommend that you maximize your browser window now. The
screen controls allow you to navigate through the eLearning experience. Using your browser
controls may disrupt the normal play of the course. Click the Notes tab to read a transcript of
the narration.

Slide 3: Objectives

At the completion of this course, you will be able to:

Identify basic electricity concepts

Describe electrical power and its generation

Differentiate between various power usages in a data center

Define power factor

Recognize the importance of electrical safety measures in a data center, and

Identify potential problem areas in the data center

Slide 4: Introduction

Power is a primary resource within the data center. Many instances of equipment failure,
downtime, software and data corruption, are the result of power problems. Sensitive
components within today’s servers require power that is free of interruption or distortion.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
Fortunately, the consequences of large-scale power incidents are well documented. Across all
business sectors, billions of dollars are lost per year due to power disruptions and secondary
power quality problems.

It is imperative that servers are isolated from utility power failures, surges, and other potential
electrical problems. The building in which a data center is located could have a mixture of power
requirements: air conditioners, elevators, office equipment, desktop computers, and kitchen
area microwaves and refrigerators. It is important to provide a separate, dedicated power
source and power infrastructure for the data center.

This course will explore the topic of power, and how it is utilized within the data center. Let’s
begin by refreshing ourselves with definitions of some basic electrical terms.

Slide 5: Key Terms

The Volt is a unit of measurement of potential difference or electrical pressure between two
points. If the two points are connected together, they form a circuit and current will flow.

An Ampere measures the amount of electrical current flowing through a circuit during a specific
time interval.

The Ohm is the unit of measurement which describes the amount of resistance electricity
encounters as it flows through a circuit.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 6: Key Terms

Hertz is the unit of frequency measurement. One complete cycle of change in voltage direction
per second is equal to one Hertz (Hz).

Alternating Current, or AC, is constantly being reversed back and forth through an electrical
circuit. Power supplied to a building by a nearby utility is an example of AC power.

Direct Current, or DC, is electrical current that only flows in one direction. The power supplied
by a battery is one example of a DC power source.

To fully demonstrate how all of these terms relate to one another, let’s compare the flow of
electricity through a power cable to the flow of water through a garden hose.

Slide 7: Key Terms

Let’s use a typical garden hose as an illustration for how electricity can work. Water will flow
through the hose at a slow rate, or a fast rate, depending on how far the faucet is opened.
Water pressure (equivalent to voltage) usually remains constant whether the faucet is opened
or closed. Current is controlled by the faucet position (resistance). The faucet is either more
open or less open at any given time. The current can also be controlled by an increase or loss of
water pressure (voltage). The amount of water that moves through a hose in gallons, or liters,
per second can be compared to the quantity of electrons that flow per second through a
conductor as measured in amperes.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 8: Key terms

Our garden hose analogy can also help to explain resistance. Consider a garden hose which is
partially restricted by a large rock. The weight of the rock will slow the flow of water in the
garden hose. We can say that the restricted garden hose has more resistance to water flow than
does an unrestricted garden hose. If we want to get more water out of the hose, we would need
to turn up the water pressure at the faucet. The same is true of electricity. Materials with low
resistance let electricity flow easily. Materials with higher resistance require more voltage to
make the electricity flow.

Slide 9: Electrical Load

When discussing the concept of power, it is important to understand the term, electrical load.
The load is the sum of the various pieces of equipment in a data center which consume and are
supplied with electrical power. A typical data center load would consist of computers,
networking equipment, cooling equipment, power distribution equipment and all equipment
supported by the electrical infrastructure.

We will now address some of the differences between AC and DC power.

Slide 10: AC and DC Power

As mentioned in our section on key terms, Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) are
two forms of power. Let’s begin to explore the ways in which each is utilized.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
When the direction of current flowing in a circuit constantly reverses direction, it is known as
Alternating Current (AC). The electrical current coming into your home is an example of
alternating current. Alternating Current, which comes from the utility company is switched back
and forth approximately 60 times each second, measured as 60 Hertz. This measurement is
called the frequency. The utility determines the frequency for the AC power that reaches the
data center. In the US, frequency is set at 60 Hertz (Hz). In other countries, 50 Hz is more
common.

AC power is a combination of voltage and current. AC voltage at a generating station is stepped

up via high voltage transformers to voltage levels that enable power to be distributed over long
distances with minimal loss of energy.

Slide 11: AC and DC Power

Direct Current (DC) has several applications in the typical data center, most commonly in
telecom equipment where banks of batteries supply power at 48 Volts DC or in battery systems
supporting uninterruptible power supplies, which can be at potentials over 500 Volts DC.
However, whether the supply is available from banks of batteries, or from DC generators, DC
systems are not practical in data centers because of heavy resistive losses and the large cable
sizes required to power information technology equipment. Almost all data center equipment is
designed for the local nominal AC supply voltages.

Now that we have discussed the forms of current, let’s compare single-phase and 3-phase
power.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 12: Single-phase & 3-phase Power

Two common forms of AC power provided to data centers are single phase and 3-phase power.
Single-phase power has only one basic power waveform, while 3-phase power has three basic
power waveforms that are offset from each other by 120º.

When AC power comes into a building as a single voltage source, it is referred to as single phase.
If the power comes into the building utilizing three voltage sources, or three phases, or three
hot wires, with accompanying neutrals and grounds, it is referred to as 3-phase power.

Slide 13: Single-phase & 3-phase Power

Single phase electricity is usually distributed to residential and small commercial customers. The
single phase implies that power comes in with only one hot wire, along with accompanying
neutral and ground.

Generating and distributing 3-phase power is more economical than distributing single phase
power. Since the size of the wire affects the amount of current that can pass, it also determines
the amount of power that can be delivered. If a large amount of power were distributed as a
single phase, huge heavy transmission wires would be needed and it would be nearly impossible
to suspend them from a pole. It is much more economical to distribute AC power using 3-phase
voltage sources.

Next, let’s talk about 120/240 and 208 volt configurations.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 14: 120/240 and 208 Volt Configurations

120 Volts and 240 Volts AC are the most common single phase voltages supplied to residential
customers in North America. Single phase 240 Volts tends to supply larger domestic appliances,
such as clothes dryers, electric cooking stoves, and water heaters. Single phase 120 Volts is also
available in some data centers. Many IT devices, including computer monitors and individual
desktop computers accept 120 Volts. 3-phase 208 Volts power usually supports commercial
environments, including most data centers.

(Please note: In many countries, such as in parts of Europe and Asia, voltages such as 220-240V
and 400V are also common.)

Next, we'll explore the concept of watts and volt-amps.

Slide 15: Watts & Volt-Amps

The Watt measures the real power drawn by the load equipment, and is used as a measurement
of both power and heat generated by the equipment. Wattage rating is typically stamped on the
nameplate of the load equipment. However, the nameplate rating is rarely the same as the
measured wattage in IT equipment. Many data centers have metering available on UPS or
power distribution units (PDU), or even on rack mounted power strips all of which allow
accurate recording of power at the site.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 16: Watts & Volt-Amps

The Volt-Amps (VA) rating, or apparent power, represents the maximum load that the device in
question can draw. It is the product of the applied AC voltage times the current drawn by the
device. VA is used in sizing and specifying wire sizes, circuit breakers, switchgear, transformers
and general power distribution equipment. VA ratings represent the maximum power capable of
being drawn by the equipment. VA ratings are always greater than or equal to the watt rating of
the equipment.

The significance of the difference between Watts and Volt-Amps is that power supplies, wiring,
and circuit breakers may need to be rated to handle more current and more power than what
may be expected.

Slide 17: Power Factor

The terms Watts (W) and Volt-Amps (VA) are often used interchangeably when discussing load
sizing for power infrastructure components, such as UPS devices. These terms are however, not
the same. The key to understanding the relationship between Watts and VA is the Power Factor.
Watts represent real power and Volt Amps represent apparent power.

Power factor is the ratio of real power (in Watts) to apparent power (in VA). Power factor can be
expressed as a number between 0.0 and 1.0 or as a percentage between 0% and 100%. If a given
UPS has a real power rating of 80 kW and an apparent power rating of 100 kVA, then its nominal
power factor is 0.8 (or 80). A UPS with a higher nominal power factor is desirable because it can
provide more real power to support additional IT equipment.

Next, we will look at one type of electronic switching power supply: Power Factor Corrected.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 18: Power Factor Correction

Power Factor Corrected (PFC) power supplies were introduced in the mid-1990s and they are
nearly ubiquitous in modern IT equipment. PFC power supplies have the characteristic that
their Watt and VA ratings are almost equal. That is they have a power factor of nearly 1.0.
Power Factor Corrected power supplies minimize electrical distribution losses caused by
harmonic currents and optimize the amount of IT equipment that can operate on a circuit of a
given amperage.

All large computing equipment such as servers, routers, switches, drive arrays made after 1996
use the Power Factor Corrected power supply. Personal computers, small hubs and personal
computer accessories may have a power factor of less than 1.

For a small UPS designed for computer loads which only have a VA rating, it is appropriate to
assume that the Watt rating of the UPS is 60% of the published VA rating.

For larger UPS systems, it is quite common to focus on the Watt rating of the UPS. State-of-the-
art larger UPS systems are rated for unity power factor. In other words they are designed so
that their capacity in kVA is the same as in kW.

Next, let’s discuss plugs and receptacles.

Slide 19: Plugs & Receptacles

Many different types of power plugs are used throughout the world. Two of the more common
plug standards in data centers are: the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard,

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
which is based in Switzerland, but used globally; and the National Electric Manufacturers
Association (NEMA) standard, which is commonly used in North America.

Most plugs in the data center have three prongs and the receptacles are designed to accept
these three prong configurations. In the US, a typical 3-prong plug consists of two flat prongs
and one rounded prong. The larger of the flat prongs is the neutral, the smaller of the two flat
prongs is the hot, and the rounded prong on the bottom is the ground.

The most common plug/receptacle combination for IT equipment is of an IEC design. These
receptacles are often designed in a recessed fashion for safety reasons. The design helps to
prevent a person from touching the pins when they are live.

Also common are plugs and receptacles of the twist lock variety. The plug is twisted to lock into
the receptacle. It is particularly useful if you choose to deploy overhead cabling rather than
below the raised floor cabling. With twist lock, the receptacle is less likely to allow gravity and
vibration to dislodge it from its plug.

Let’s discuss IEC and NEMA plugs in greater detail.

Slide 20: International Electrotechnical Commission Plugs

Among the most common IEC plugs found in data centers are: the IEC-320-C13 and IEC-320-C14,
which are rated over a range from 100 to 240 Volts AC, and a current of about 10 Amps; the IEC-
320-C19 and IEC-320-C20, which are rated over a range from 100 to 240 Volts AC, and a current
range of about 16 to 20 Amps.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
Also common are the IEC 309 series of 208 Volt single phase Russell Stoll connectors. The IEC
309 2P3W 208V, 20A for example, is rated at 20 Amps, and the IEC 309 2P3W 208V, 30A is
rated at 30 Amps. Clues to the makeup of the plug can be determined by analyzing the name of
the plug. In the case of the IEC 309 2P3W 208V, 30A , for example, the letter “P” identifies the
number of poles, the letter “W” identifies the number of wires. “V” identifies volts and “A”
designates the current in amperes.

Receptacles are installed in rack-mounted power strips as well as on power whips, and those
plugs are most commonly attached to power cords on IT equipment.

(Please note: In many countries, such as in parts of Europe and Asia, voltages such as 220-240V
and 400V are also common.)

Slide 21: National Electric Manufacturers Association Plugs

There many examples of NEMA standard plug types. Each NEMA plug and receptacle type
follows a naming convention. For example, a common plug type may read “L5-15P”.

If the code begins with the letter L, the plug or receptacle locks. If the code does not begin with
a letter, the plug or receptacle does not lock. In this example, the plug locks. The first number
can be a digit between 1 and 24, where 3 and 4 are never used. That number represents a
certain combination of voltage, number of poles, number of wires, and whether it is a grounding
type plug or not. In this example, the plug is a Number 5 plug. The number after the hyphen
indicates the amperage rating. In this example, the number after the hyphen is 15, which means
the plug is rated to handle 15 Amps. The final letter, being a “P”, indicates that the device is,
indeed, a plug. If the device was a receptacle, the final letter would be an “R”.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
Now that we have learned what we need to know about plugs and receptacles, let’s explore
some common areas where power failures can occur.

Slide 22: Common Power System Failures

According to M Technology, Inc., an expert in the field of Probabilistic Risk Assessment, the most
common areas of power system failure in data center electrical infrastructure are: the power
distribution unit (PDU) and its respective circuit breakers at 30%, all other circuit breakers at
40%, UPS failure at 20%, and balance of system at 10%.

We will now discuss the topic of circuit breakers and their importance in the data center.

Slide 23: Circuit Breakers

A circuit breaker is a piece of equipment, or a type of switch, that is designed to protect

electrical equipment from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Circuit breakers are
designed to trip at a given current level. Unlike fuses and switches, circuit breakers can be reset.
Large circuit breakers have adjustable trip mechanisms, while smaller circuit breakers, designed
for branch circuits, have their trip levels internally preset according to their electrical current
rating.

As mentioned earlier, in the data center’s electrical infrastructure, most failures can be traced
back to the circuit breaker. Circuit breakers can fail in a number of ways: failure to close; failure
to open under fault conditions; spurious trip, where a breaker opens with no fault; and failure to
operate with the time-current specifications of the unit.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 24: Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers are designed to interrupt excessive current flow and come in a wide range of
sizes. The number of times they trip or switch should be monitored as most have a rated
lifetime of 1-10 fault current interruptions.

Slide 25: Circuit Breakers

If you trace the path of power into your data center, from the utility through the transformer
and UPS down to the load, you will see that there are multiple breaker types all along the way.
Some are bigger breakers (600 amps or greater) and some are the commodity type of breakers,
such as branch circuit and PDU breakers. Circuit breaker coordination is important. The breaker
closest to the fault should open faster than the circuit breakers upstream. Since the bigger
breakers are often located upstream, the fault could potentially affect most of the building
instead of just part of the building, if the breakers are not properly coordinated.

Coordination of breakers is complicated and must be done carefully. Both the rating and speed
of breakers must be considered. It is recommended that data center staffs consult with
electricians who are well versed in this area.

Let’s discuss two popular circuit breaker types that may be found in IT equipment: thermal
circuit breakers and magnetic circuit breakers.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 26: Circuit Breakers

Increasing current raises the temperature inside a thermal circuit breaker. If the current is too
high, the thermal circuit breaker gets hot enough to trip the circuit breaker. A common thermal
circuit breaker uses a bimetallic strip to trip the breaker. A bimetallic strip sandwiches two
different metals together. Current flows through the bimetallic strip, and causes it to heat.
Because one metal expands faster than the other metal as the temperature rises, the strip
bends. If the current is too high, the metal strip bends enough to break the contact in the
electric circuit.

Slide 27: Circuit Breakers

A magnetic circuit breaker uses an electromagnetic coil to pull a switch when a circuit carries
too much current. As current increases, the electromagnetic coil pulls with greater force against
the spring that keeps the switch closed. When the current is too high for the circuit, the force
from the electromagnetic coil overcomes the force of the spring, and forces the switch contact
to break the circuit.

These two breaker types can also combined into another type of breaker, called a thermal-
magnetic circuit breaker.

Slide 28: Circuit Breaker Protection

Circuit breakers are designed to be either fast acting or slow acting. A circuit breaker may need
to switch short circuit currents as high as 15 times its rated current. A 30 Amp breaker, for
example, may need to switch, in an emergency, 450 or more Amps of current.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 29: Circuit Breaker Sizing

Circuit breakers are designed to trip at 110% of their rated threshold. This allows for normal
short term overloads such as the start up currents in electrical motors. For example, a 20 Amp
circuit breaker is not guaranteed to trip until the current exceeds 22 Amps. Circuit breaker
tripping thresholds may vary according to design specification or safety code requirements. To
avoid downtime and unnecessary circuit breaker tripping, a circuit breaker needs to be sized
according to both its rated current and its tripping current.

Trip settings are adjusted so that the circuit breaker in question will trip in a timely fashion on
overload and before the upstream breaker trips.

It is advisable to choose a breaker designed for the characteristics of the load. For example,
some breakers have an “HCAR” rating, which is a rating for heating, cooling and air conditioning
applications. Breakers without this particular rating should not be used for the HVAC systems.

Circuit breakers with delayed action may be needed for heavy electrical loads, such as motors,
transformers, and air conditioners that draw temporarily high surge currents. 10. The circuit
breaker needs to be rated high enough to prevent an electric arc from forming that could jump
over the contacts of the switch.

Slide 30: GFCI, ELCB, and RCD

Certain types of circuit breakers are designed to trip a circuit if they detect a small amount of
ground current. These breakers are known as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI), Earth
Leakage Circuit Breakers (ELCI), or Residual-Current Devices (RCD). Because they are too
sensitive to currents, and pose a risk to availability, GFCI units are not used in data centers;

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
however, they are commonly placed in damp environments such as swimming pools, bathrooms,
kitchens and on construction sites, to protect personnel from electric shock. Larger data centers
use high resistance grounding systems to limit possible ground currents to safer levels, and
protect personnel from electric shock.

Next, we’ll discuss why convenience outlets are so important in the data center environment.

Slide 31: Convenience Outlets

A convenience outlet is an outlet which is used for non-computer devices. It is important to

provide this additional resource outlet which can be used for electronic devices that may be
necessary for the data center environment; data center personnel need a place to plug in office
equipment or lighting without the worry of tripping a circuit breaker or taxing the power supply.
Installing convenience outlets is a way to ensure that enough power is provided to supply not
only the critical load, but also any additional power that may be required.

Next, we’ll discuss safety issues such as electrical grounding and ground loops.

Slide 32: Grounding

Grounding is principally a safety measure to protect against electric shock. The grounded wire is
connected to the exterior of metal cases on appliances to protect against a hot-wire short inside
the appliance. If a short occurs, the ground wire will limit the touch voltage to less than 30 volts
and will also provide a return path for the excessive current to trip the branch circuit breaker.
Some wires are considered hot, because they are not grounded.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 33: Ground Loops

Ground loops occur when there is a varying quality of connections to the earth at different
points in an electrical installation. The result is that current may flow in unexpected loops
between ground connections. Ground loops are a potentially hazardous situation. The solution
to stopping ground loops is to confirm the quality of ground connections at all points in an
electrical installation.

Now, let’s discuss seven categories of common power problems and their solutions.

Slide 34: Transients

Impulsive transients are sudden high peak events that raise the voltage and/or current levels in
either a positive or a negative direction. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) and lightning strikes are
both examples impulsive disturbances. Impulsive transients can be very fast, happening as
quickly as 5 nanoseconds and lasting less than 50 nanoseconds.

For example, an ESD may have a peak of over 8000 volts, but last less than 4 billionths of a
second. The transient, however, may still be strong enough to damage sensitive electronic
equipment.

An approach to solve the problem of impulsive transients is the utilization of a Transient Voltage
Surge Suppressor (TVSS). A TVSS is a device that either absorbs the transient energy, or short
circuits the energy to ground, before it can reach sensitive equipment.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 35: Transients

Motors turning on or off commonly cause oscillatory transients for power systems. The voltage
quickly rises above its normal level, and then gradually fades back to its normal level over
several wave cycles.

Slide 36: Interruptions

Interruptions occur when there is a temporary break in the power supplied. There are four types
of interruptions: Instantaneous (0.5 cycles to 30 cycles), Momentary (30 cycles to 2 seconds),
Temporary (2 seconds to 2 minutes), and Sustained (longer than 2 minutes). An uninterruptible
power supply (UPS) can provide short-term backup power during an interruption.

Slide 37: Sags and Undervoltages

A sag or dip is a reduction of AC voltage at a given frequency for a duration of 0.5 cycles to 1
minute’s time. Sags are usually caused by system faults, and are also often the result of
switching on loads with heavy startup currents. Common causes of sags include starting large
loads, such as one might see when they first start up a large air conditioning unit, and remote
fault clearing performed by utility equipment. Power line conditioners and UPSs can
compensate for sags or dips.

Slide 38: Sags and Undervoltages

According to the IEEE, Undervoltage is “… a Root Mean Square (RMS) decrease in the AC voltage,
at the power frequency, for a period of time greater than one minute”. An undervoltage is the

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
result of long-term problems that create sags. The term “brownout” has been in common usage
in describing this problem, but has been superseded because the term is ambiguous in that it
also refers to commercial power delivery strategy during periods of extended high demand.
Undervoltages can create overheating in motors, and can lead to the failure of non-linear loads
such as computer power supply failures. Undervoltages can overheat a motor or make a power
supply fail. Power line conditioners and UPSs can compensate for undervoltages.

Slide 39: Swells and Overvoltages

A swell, or surge, is the reverse form of a sag, having an increase in AC voltage for a duration of
0.5 cycles to 1 minute’s time. For swells, high-impedance neutral connections, sudden load
reductions, and a single-phase fault on a 3-phase system are common sources. A swell is also
prevalent when large loads are switched out of a system. Power line conditioners and UPSs can
compensate for swells.

Slide 40: Swells and Overvoltages

According to the IEEE, overvoltage is “an RMS increase in the AC voltage, at the power
frequency, for durations greater than a few seconds. An Overvoltage is common in areas where
supply transformer tap settings are incorrectly set, and where loads have been reduced and
commercial power systems continue to compensate for load changes that are no longer
necessary. This is common in seasonal regions where communities diminish during off-season.
Overvoltage conditions can create high current draw and unnecessary tripping of downstream
circuit breakers, as well as overheating and stress on equipment. Power line conditioners and
UPSs can compensate for overvoltage.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 41: Waveform Distortion

Many different causes of waveform distortion exist. DC Offset happens when direct current is
added to an AC power source. DC Offset can damage electrical equipment, such as motors and
transformers, by overheating them.

Harmonic waveforms are another form of waveform distortion. Harmonics appear on the power
distribution system as distorted current. Keep in mind that all equipment that does not have the
advantage of modern harmonic-correction features should be isolated on separate circuits.

Slide 42: Voltage Fluctuations

Voltage fluctuation is a systematic variation of the voltage waveform or a series of random

voltage changes of small dimensions, namely 95 to 105% of nominal at a low frequency, and
generally below 25 Hz. Power line conditioners and UPSs can compensate for voltage
fluctuations.

Slide 43: Power Frequency Variation

Frequency variation is extremely rare in stable, utility power systems, especially systems
interconnected through a power grid. Where sites have dedicated standby generators or poor
power infrastructure, frequency variation is more common especially if the generator is heavily
loaded. IT equipment is frequency tolerant, and generally not affected by minor shifts in local
generator frequency.

Next, we will follow the path of power distribution in the data center.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 44: Standby Power and Distribution

Standby Power can be defined as any power source available to the data center that takes over
the function of supplying power when utility power is unavailable.

Two common forms of standby power are mechanical generators that use electromagnetism to
produce electricity, and electrochemical systems which use batteries and fuel cells to generate
electrical current. Mechanical generator systems provide power on large and small scales, for
entire cities or for individual use. Electrochemical generation is typically for smaller or
temporary use.

So, how is power distributed in the data center? Let’s explore this concept next.

Slide 45: Power Distribution Components

Electricians often refer to one line diagrams. One line can be very simple to very complex. At a
minimum, it should illustrate the primary electrical components of the electrical system and
illustrate how they link and interact with each other.

This one line lets us see how electrical power is distributed in the data center from a server plug
to outlet strips to Power Distribution Units (PDU) to UPS and bypass to Automatic Transfer
Switch to the primary power source (Utility) to the emergency power source (Generator).

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
Let’s describe the function of each of these components.

Slide 46: Power Distribution Components

The utility provides the primary electrical power source for the data center. Ideally, multiple
utility feeds should be provided from separate sub-stations or power grids. While not essential,
this action will provide back-up and redundancy.

An emergency, back-up power source, in the form of a generator, can be positioned to bear the
load of both data center components, as well as all essential support equipment, such as air
conditioners, in case of power disruption.

Slide 47: Power Distribution Components

A circuit is a path for electrical current to flow. A branch circuit is one, two, or more circuits
whose main power is connected through the same main switch. Each branch circuit should have
its own grounding wire. All wires must be of the same gauge.

An uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, is a device or system that maintains a continuous

supply of electric power to certain essential equipment that must not be shut down
unexpectedly. The UPS equipment is inserted between a primary power source, such as a
commercial utility, and the primary power input of equipment to be protected, for the purpose
of eliminating the effects of a temporary power outage and transient anomalies.

An automatic transfer switch is a switch that will automatically switch the power supply from
one power source to another, in case of power disruption or bypass mode. For example, if the
utility fails, the automatic transfer switch would immediately switch to UPS or generator power.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript

Slide 48: Power Distribution Components

A Power Distribution Unit (PDU) is a device that distributes electric power by usually taking high
voltage and amperage and reducing it to more common and useful rates, for example from
220V 30A single phase to multiple 110V 15A or 110V 20A plugs. It is used in computer data
centers and sometimes has features like remote monitoring, and control, down to plug level.
(Please note: In many countries, such as in parts of Europe and Asia, voltages such as 220-240V
and 400V are also common.)

An outlet strip is a strip of sockets which allows multiple devices to be plugged in at one time,
and usually includes a switch to turn all devices on and off. In a few cases, they may even have
all outlets individually switched. Outlet strips are often used when many electrical devices are in
close proximity, especially with audio/video and computer systems.

A server plug is the power plug or other type of electrical connector which mates with a socket
or jack, and in particular, is used with electrical or electronic equipment in the data center.

Slide 49: Summary

To summarize, let’s review some of the information that we have covered throughout the
course.

Power infrastructure is critical to the uptime of any data center.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
 The Fundamentals of Power
Transcript
Understanding basic power terms helps to better evaluate the interaction between the utility,
standby power equipment and the load.

Failures can occur at various points in the power infrastructure, but special care should be given
to the condition and coordination of circuit breakers.

Numerous power anomalies exist that can impact the uptime of data center equipment.

Understanding the threats and applying practical power solutions such as uninterruptible power
supplies and generators can help to minimize the risk.

Slide 50: Thank You!

Thank you for participating in this course.

© 2021 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.