FAQ

UPS Power Supply System and Backup Time Overview

UPS Power Supply Modes

1. Normal Operation Mode
   • When utility power is stable, the UPS converts AC power to DC power to charge the battery. It also provides clean, stable power to devices during voltage fluctuations, surges, or other power issues.
2. Bypass Operation Mode
   • If the UPS encounters overload, overheating, or failure, it switches to bypass mode, where power is directly supplied by the utility grid. This mode uses synchronization technology to ensure seamless switching with zero downtime.
3. Battery Operation Mode
   • During power outages, the UPS converts stored DC power from the battery to AC power to maintain power supply to devices. Battery capacity and load determine the backup time.
4. Maintenance Bypass Mode
   • During UPS maintenance, power is routed through a manual bypass to ensure continuous power to devices while the UPS is serviced.

Enhancing UPS Reliability

1. Series Redundancy
   • Two UPS units are connected so that the backup UPS takes over if the primary fails, ensuring continuous power supply.
2. Output Redundancy
   • Two UPS outputs are combined through a redundancy converter. If one fails, the converter switches to the backup source without interrupting power.
3. Parallel Redundancy
   • Multiple UPS units work together. If one fails, the remaining units take over, allowing for hot-swapping during maintenance.

UPS Backup Time

• Factors Affecting Backup Time:
  Backup time depends on battery capacity and load. Standard UPS units typically provide 5–10 minutes of backup, while extended runtime models can offer 0.5–8 hours or more with additional batteries.
• Typical Applications:
  • Small home/office UPS: ~20 minutes.
  • Large industrial UPS: 1–10 hours (customizable with extended battery configurations).

What is an Integrated Power Distribution Cabinet?

Key Features:

1. Integrated Design:
   • Includes subsystems such as UPS, power distribution, cooling, cabinets, and fire protection.
   • All subsystems are managed and monitored through a unified system, reducing wiring and construction complexity.
2. Reliability:
   • The UPS system provides continuous and stable power to ensure the normal operation of IT equipment.
   • Precision cooling systems maintain the operating environment's temperature and humidity to prevent equipment failures due to overheating.
3. Flexibility and Adaptability:
   • The integrated cabinet features a fully sealed design, allowing it to operate in harsh indoor environments without the need for a dedicated server room.
   • Suitable for various application scenarios, including edge computing and small data centers.
4. Real-time Monitoring:
   • Equipped with an environment and equipment monitoring system to continuously track the operational status of devices and address issues promptly.

What is a Modular UPS?

Key Features:

1. Modular Design:
   • The modular cabinet acts as a framework, while power modules function like drawers that can be added or removed as needed.
   • Supports hot-swap technology, allowing modules to be replaced or maintained without interrupting system operation.
2. High Reliability:
   • Uses N+X parallel redundancy technology to ensure the system remains operational even if some modules fail.
   • Reduces single points of failure and enhances overall system availability.
3. Flexibility and Scalability:
   • Modular design supports on-demand configuration, enabling users to select the number of modules based on current needs and expand capacity in the future.
   • Each module rack can be fully separated, making it easy to adjust capacity according to business requirements.
4. Energy Efficiency:
   • Employs multi-level inverter technology to reduce harmonic distortion and power losses.
   • Optimized system design improves power density and lowers total cost of ownership (TCO).
5. Ease of Maintenance:
   • Hot-swap technology allows for quick replacement of faulty modules, minimizing maintenance time and downtime risks.

Application Scenarios:

How to choose the right level of data center for your business?

For businesses that can tolerate occasional server network downtime during normal working hours or weekends, T1 and T2 data centers are usually sufficient. For businesses that require 7*24 uptime, such as airlines, e-commerce companies, financial companies, online gaming companies, etc., which have high requirements for online networks, they usually choose T3 or T4 data centers.

Currently, the most used computer rooms are mostly T3 computer rooms, or T3+ computer rooms (T3+ level standard is higher than T3 level and lower than T4 level). Currently, there are relatively few T4 level computer rooms, which require more resources to be invested, and are used more for military and other more important resources.

About IDC data center computer room construction T1, T2, T3, T4 level standard introduction

Tier I-Infrastructure data center computer room: no redundant facilities (can provide 99.67% availability, up to 28.8 hours of downtime per year)

T1 data center provides computer room infrastructure to support information technology outside the office environment. T1 data center infrastructure includes a space dedicated to IT systems; uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to filter power spikes, voltage sags and instantaneous power outages; dedicated cooling equipment that does not shut down at the end of normal office hours; and engine generators to protect IT functions from long power outages.

Tier II-Redundant capacity facility data center computer room: with redundant facilities, (can provide 99.75% availability, up to 22 hours of downtime per year)

T2 data center computer room facilities include all T1-level functions and add redundant critical power and cooling components to provide selected maintenance opportunities and increased safety margins to prevent IT process interruptions caused by computer room infrastructure equipment failures. Redundant components include power and cooling equipment such as UPS modules, cooling equipment, and engine generators.

Tier III-Concurrently maintainable data center room: multiple paths are available, only one path is in operation, with redundant facilities, and can be maintained simultaneously (providing 99.98% availability, with a maximum of 1.6 hours of downtime per year)

T3 data centers include all T1 and T2 features and do not require equipment shutdown for replacement and maintenance. Redundant transmission paths for power and cooling are added to the redundant key components of the T2 data center so that each component required to support the IT processing environment can be shut down and maintained without affecting IT operations.

Tier IV-Fault-tolerant data center room: with redundant equipment and fault-tolerant capabilities, (providing 99.99% availability, with a maximum of 0.8 hours of downtime per year)

T4 data center infrastructure is built on top of the T3 level, adding the concept of fault tolerance to the room infrastructure topology. Fault tolerance requires that all power and cooling components are 2N fully redundant. If any single power or cooling infrastructure component fails, processing will continue without interruption. Only failure of components from two different electrical or cooling paths can affect IT processing.

About IDC data center computer room construction T1, T2, T3, T4 level standard introduction

Tier I-Infrastructure data center computer room: no redundant facilities (can provide 99.67% availability, up to 28.8 hours of downtime per year)

T1 data center provides computer room infrastructure to support information technology outside the office environment. T1 data center infrastructure includes a space dedicated to IT systems; uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to filter power spikes, voltage sags and instantaneous power outages; dedicated cooling equipment that does not shut down at the end of normal office hours; and engine generators to protect IT functions from long power outages.

Tier II-Redundant capacity facility data center computer room: with redundant facilities, (can provide 99.75% availability, up to 22 hours of downtime per year)

T2 data center computer room facilities include all T1-level functions and add redundant critical power and cooling components to provide selected maintenance opportunities and increased safety margins to prevent IT process interruptions caused by computer room infrastructure equipment failures. Redundant components include power and cooling equipment such as UPS modules, cooling equipment, and engine generators.

Tier III-Concurrently maintainable data center room: multiple paths are available, only one path is in operation, with redundant facilities, and can be maintained simultaneously (providing 99.98% availability, with a maximum of 1.6 hours of downtime per year)

T3 data centers include all T1 and T2 features and do not require equipment shutdown for replacement and maintenance. Redundant transmission paths for power and cooling are added to the redundant key components of the T2 data center so that each component required to support the IT processing environment can be shut down and maintained without affecting IT operations.

Tier IV-Fault-tolerant data center room: with redundant equipment and fault-tolerant capabilities, (providing 99.99% availability, with a maximum of 0.8 hours of downtime per year)

T4 data center infrastructure is built on top of the T3 level, adding the concept of fault tolerance to the room infrastructure topology. Fault tolerance requires that all power and cooling components are 2N fully redundant. If any single power or cooling infrastructure component fails, processing will continue without interruption. Only failure of components from two different electrical or cooling paths can affect IT processing.

What is the data center room grade?

IDC data center room grades are industry standards created by the Uptime Institute to evaluate the construction methods of data center infrastructure. The grade classification system provides a consistent evaluation method for the data center industry to evaluate various data center facilities based on the expected room infrastructure performance or uptime.

The higher the grade of the data center room, the higher the performance of the facilities, such as room facilities, network communications, storage equipment, room power supply, cooling system, backup resources, etc. The data center is divided into 4 grades, namely Tier1, Tier2, Tier3 and Tier4. The data center levels are T4>T3>T2>T1.

The size of a data center depends on the size of the organization and its resources. To determine the right size and density for a data center, consider the available technology and facilities budget.

With the continued development of server consolidation technologies such as virtualization and more advanced processors, many organizations have moved away from measuring the size of data centers by physical space and instead measure size by density. Density determines the power consumption of a data center. The size and density of a data center can be determined by understanding its compute space and peak kilowatt load, which can be divided into four categories of data center density: low, medium, high, and very high.

Although the same square footage can now accommodate an increasing number of servers and storage arrays, the physical size of the data center must still be considered. Area is a factor in layout discussions and has a large impact on density issues. Use it to estimate the capacity and utilization of a given data center room.

What size data center is right for you?

Different types of organizations and different industries require different data center sizes and densities. Various factors, from server configuration to network architecture, and the age of hardware, can affect the size needs of a data center. For example, if you are still using quite a bit of older technology, then consider a smaller data center with a more traditional network and server architecture.

When you expand your data center, you can increase density by consolidating servers and introducing newer processing technologies. This way, you can gain additional computing power while maintaining the same physical footprint.

Why does data center size matter?

Large data centers are not more efficient than small ones, and vice versa. Regardless of the size of the data center, efficiency should be a priority when designing.

Large data centers do have some advantages over small ones, including room for expansion and certain tools. In large data centers, data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools can be implemented to monitor and manage the facility. DCIM means including additional equipment and software in the data center, which means an increased workload for staff. This makes DCIM more suitable for large data centers that have the resources to implement it and can get a return on the investment.

For smaller data centers, introducing virtualization can improve efficiency. Virtualization can reduce space, power, and cooling requirements, and simplify workload migration, data protection, and other server tasks.

UPS unit size

The size of a data center determines its power usage. You can size an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) by measuring a few metrics. AC power is more efficient than DC power for power companies, but AC has reactance, which reduces the amount of power available.

To calculate the power required for your data center, use this formula: Watts = Volts x Amps x Power Factor, where power factor is the ratio of available power to total supplied power. Once you determine your power requirements, plan to run your UPS at about 80% of its power capacity. For example, if you plan to have an 80kW load, you should use a 112.5kW system with a power factor of 0.9. This provides some wiggle room if you occasionally need more power, and also allows you to install duplicate power systems.

Setting Up Server Racks Correctly

The correct server rack setup depends on the size of your data center. To avoid server rack issues, consider the size of the rack and how much space you have. Most racks can accommodate servers up to 19 inches wide, but you must also consider the height and depth of the server rack when planning your space. Some server racks have room for power cables and network cabling, but some do not.
Rack dimensions can vary between vendors, so make sure you know the exact width, height, and depth of your server racks and understand how to fit them into your floor plan. Even slightly oversized racks can impact airflow and containment, especially in a data center with a tight layout and specific configuration.

The mission of a data center is to ensure that tenants can transfer data between their servers, storage devices and their end users.

Three components are required to accomplish this mission:

• Management of data center network equipment
• Power infrastructure to keep the network, cooling and IT equipment running
• Cooling infrastructure to remove the heat generated by all these circuits

In a data center that can be maintained simultaneously, mission-critical equipment is redundant. This requires at least two instances of each critical component and enough spares to keep the network, power and cooling systems running even if the component is offline due to maintenance or failure.

Network redundancy means at least two independent cable entry points, at least two different conference rooms for data exchange, and at least two cable distribution systems. It is critical to ensure that physical network elements enter the data center from independent sources to avoid single points of failure upstream of the data center.

Redundant power infrastructure means two independent sources of utility feeds, two uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and two independent power distribution systems. Cooling infrastructure, such as air handlers, chillers, and pumps, also requires redundancy.

Network

Data enters and exits the data center over fiber optic cables operated by network providers, or over "dark fiber" dedicated to and operated by a single tenant. Most data centers are "carrier neutral," meaning they allow any carrier to deploy its network infrastructure and lay fiber optic cables into the facility.

Power Infrastructure

Onsite generators: Concurrently maintainable data centers must be able to continue operating for at least 12 hours in the event of a public power outage. This requires onsite power generation capabilities, such as diesel generators and sufficient fuel stored on site to power them.

Uninterruptible Power Supply: Rather than being connected directly to tenants’ IT equipment, the facility’s power is routed through a UPS system to protect servers, routers, and other equipment from disturbances such as power surges, and to provide temporary emergency power in the event of a utility outage to keep the data center running.

Power Distribution: Power is distributed directly to the data hall and tenants’ IT equipment via a UPS.

Cooling

A single data center building uses enough electricity to power 36,000 homes. IT equipment using all that power capacity generates a lot of heat, which needs to be cooled.

There is a range of cooling infrastructure technologies on the market, and the “best” depends on the type of work the IT equipment is performing, the local climate, and the tradeoffs between energy efficiency and water efficiency.

All other factors being equal, closed-loop air-cooled chillers use less water but more energy than water-based evaporative cooling systems. In water-stressed markets, where renewable energy is readily available, leading data center developers are increasingly relying on air-cooled chillers. These systems use water pumped through closed-loop piping to extract heat from the data hall and reject it to the outside air.

Information Technology Equipment

Large data centers hold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of IT equipment, and even more valuable IT systems and proprietary data are the beating hearts of most businesses.

This data is stored in servers in data halls. If you stand inside a data hall, you will see a large room with rows of servers stacked on racks.

Cooled supply air can be delivered to the server racks in a variety of ways, including through a raised floor plenum, through ductwork above the racks, or through rows of fans lining the data hall, which are aptly called "fan walls."

As density increases within data halls, tenants may seek more advanced cooling methods, including the use of liquid cooling to supplement or replace forced air. Often, liquid cooling using equipment such as rear door heat exchangers, or even direct chip cooling, can be incorporated into traditional forced air data halls.

Some data center operators have pioneered immersion cooling to improve efficiency, however, the technology has not been widely adopted due to the need for specialized servers, equipment, and materials to operate the system.

How a particular data hall is configured depends on the specific needs of the tenant. Hyperscalers, which operate gigawatts of data center capacity around the world, often prefer standardized deployments across their portfolios, but the configuration of one company’s data hall may differ significantly from that of its competitors.

Ensuring that data hall designs support the broadest range of tenants and allow for deployment of customer-requested configurations at any time without one-off customization means that data center operators must develop deep relationships with tenants and experienced teams that understand operational needs.

This is an integral part of the value of a data center for homes and shops. Being located in a large city is important, but even in a specific city center, data center developers need to find a location that is closest to end users and has the highest level of infrastructure.

To ensure that data centers provide fast, stable service to users while generating reliable returns for investors, data center operators need to consider several factors:

Site selection factors

Economic, stable power supply

Low risk of natural disasters

Strong network connectivity

Availability of renewable energy

Access to technical talent

Mission-critical assets

The energy storage UPS power supply adopts a new topology architecture, combining modular UPS and energy storage scenario application requirements. While achieving ultra-high availability and ultra-high reliability of the system, it further effectively improves the energy-saving effect of the system, saves carbon and reduces consumption, and creates greater value for users.

In terms of performance, the energy storage UPS has several major features:
1. Up to 100% charging + 100% load, while ensuring the safety of the load and meeting the requirements of rapid power replenishment, it can achieve two charging and two discharging to improve efficiency: the system supports 100% charging and 100% load operation at the same time, ensuring that the battery is quickly replenished when the city power is restored or the electricity price is low, while not affecting the normal power supply of the load. The two-charge and two-discharge function charges when the electricity price is low and discharges when it is peak, maximizing the use of the electricity price difference and improving economic benefits. In addition, this function optimizes the battery charging and discharging strategy, reduces the number of deep discharges of the battery, and prolongs the battery life. It discharges during peak power consumption and charges during low power consumption, reducing electricity costs.
2. Flexible energy management strategy, mains and battery can be jointly powered, and the load ratio can be set as needed: The system supports the joint power supply mode of mains and battery, and users can flexibly set the load ratio according to the grid status, electricity price and load demand. Applying this power can reduce the peak design capacity of the system front end, reduce capacity costs, and cope with capacity restrictions in weak grid areas. This strategy not only improves energy utilization efficiency, but also enhances the adaptability and economy of the system.
3. Self-developed intelligent monitoring platform, supporting flexible system settings and real-time power and revenue monitoring: Energy storage UPS is equipped with a self-developed intelligent monitoring platform, which supports flexible configuration, real-time monitoring and data analysis. Users can view system status, power, revenue and fault information through the platform to optimize operation strategies. The platform also supports predictive maintenance, early warning of potential faults, and reduced downtime. In addition, the platform provides detailed revenue analysis reports to help users evaluate system performance and economic returns and realize intelligent management.
4. True modular design, further improvement of power density, high reliability and high availability: The modular design makes the system highly flexible and scalable, and users can add or remove modules according to their needs to achieve "on-demand expansion". When a single module fails, the system can automatically switch to the backup module to ensure uninterrupted power supply. The high power density design achieves greater power output in a limited space by optimizing heat dissipation and structural layout, which is particularly suitable for data centers or industrial fields with limited space.
5. The system is more efficient, adopting a new topology and control technology to significantly reduce product losses and electromagnetic interference. The third-generation high-efficiency power devices further improve the energy conversion efficiency. The efficiency can reach up to 96.5% in double conversion mode. Every point of efficiency improvement brings real money to customers.
6. Minimalist layout, comprehensive protection, by deeply optimizing the reasonable layout of PCBA boards and components in the power module, improving the design of the heat dissipation duct, achieving minimalist assembly, minimalist maintenance, extreme reliability, and comprehensive protection at the device level, greatly improving the environmental adaptability of the product.

Due to the limitations of circuit topology and early power devices, traditional power frequency UPS needs to have a built-in transformer at the output end to boost the voltage in order to reach the working voltage required by the load. At the same time, the transformer at the output end can also buffer the impact of the load on the UPS to a certain extent. It is equivalent to the isolation transformer forming an extra layer of isolation for the system. In today's modular UPS, the power module is generally equipped with fuses at the input/output, and the output is also isolated by relays, which can play the same role as the isolation transformer of the power frequency machine. At the same time, once the power module fails, the DSP can respond quickly and isolate the faulty module from the system. Therefore, the modular UPS will not reduce the reliability of the system due to the lack of isolation transformer. On the contrary, the isolation transformer of the traditional power frequency machine is increasingly difficult to adapt to the needs of new data centers such as high-density, high-efficiency, and flexible installation due to factors such as large size and heavy weight. At the same time, the loss of the transformer itself will not only reduce the efficiency of the system, but also generate a lot of heat, shortening the life of the internal components of the UPS.
Except for some special scenarios, the scenarios where isolation transformers are needed are becoming fewer and fewer.