Smooth transition of power between primary and secondary power in the data center
It is vitally important to have uninterrupted power in the data center environment and to increase the resilience of your electrical power installation. That is why Netshield SA is glad to announce the addition of an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) to its product range already consisting of UPSs, rackmount surge protection, back-up power systems and remote management & control of power equipment in the server room.
The Netshield ATS devices are rack-mount devices that automatically transfer a power supply from its primary source to a backup source when it senses a failure or outage in the primary source, such as between the grid and a backup power generator. They are self-acting and completely manages both initiation and operation. Since the ATS is connected to both primary and backup power sources, it serves as an intermediary between the equipment and the power supplies, acting as an electrical relay and can also act as a redundant power supply for equipment that is connected to a one-cord power source.
The ATS invokes a standby power source, such as a UPS, when a failure occurs in a primary power system. It can also automatically function with longer-term backup power systems, such as local diesel generators, to run electrical equipment until utility power is restored.
Where continuous or near-continuous uptime is required such as in data centers, hospitals, factories and a wide range of other facility types, the dual power inputs on the ATS will provide a reliable means of seamless high-speed transfer of essential load connections between primary and secondary sources of electrical power such as between the grid and on-site generation including Diesel powered generators, natural gas or other energy sources.
Datacenters usually have multiple sources of electricity to ensure continuous operation. When the primary source fails, the ATS senses the failure and activates the secondary/backup power systems instantly. Once it is functioning it routes the secondary power to carry the load thus keep the critical part of the load (the computers) running through the transition by some sort of stored energy, normally batteries such as a UPS. The amount of runtime required from a UPS battery is an important consideration. The back-up system runtime should be enough to cover momentary power outages caused by local grid substation switching or overhead weather or localized lightning strikes. It should also be long enough to cover the power-up time of a standby power generating set, where installed or to commence an orderly system shutdown. The amount of time required for a complete system or site shutdown can vary from several minutes to hours.
The ATS’s have optional network connectivity for remote management via Web, SNMP or cloud-based platforms. For some larger server rooms or datacenters, the possibility of a complete power shutdown is rarely considered. Therefore, the systems in the power path must be properly and regularly maintained and tested. The ATS needs to be monitored as it channels considerable amounts of energy, which can put heavy stress on the electrical contacts involved.
The incorporation of an ATS and backup systems are critical to the reliability of your critical equipment uptime and to sustain continuous power feed to critical systems. With the Netshield ATS device maintenance to primary and secondary power feeding systems can be accomplished without any systems downtime.