A parallel redundancy uninterruptible power supply (UPS) solution based on APC (American Power Conversion) Silcon UPS equipment has been installed by UPS specialist Square One Power Solutions and its agent, Schultz Power Systems, at the East London plant of DaimlerChrysler South Africa (DCSA).
The installation contract followed a power supply audit of DCSA's East London plant data centre undertaken as a joint venture by Schultz Power Systems of East London and Square One Power, the national UPS arm of the JSE-listed Square One Solutions Group.
The audit was initiated by T-Systems, to which DCSA outsources all of its IT systems and support requirements. Because of the critical nature of the data centre in terms of the overall plant operation, its computer systems require a power supply of exceptionally high quality and reliability.
"The existing UPS equipment was aging and excessive harmonic distortion was causing site problems," says Simon Schultz, managing director of Schultz Power Systems, which is the sole distributor for Square One Power Solutions in East London.
"Our solution for the data centre had to take into account the importance of uptime to Daimler Chrysler. Square One Power is a High Power Partner of APC and thus we were able to design a UPS system based upon two new generation APC Silcon 60kW 3-phase units operating in parallel redundant mode and with two backup batteries linked for longer run time and additional reliability."
A number of advantages are gained from parallel redundant configurations. In a two-unit system, the units not only share the load equally but they double the overload capacity of the system. The DCSA system can support a 400% overload. Should a unit fail, it disconnects completely from the common output connection, leaving the remaining unit supplying the load.
The parallel redundancy design also allows one of the units to be taken out of service for maintenance without affecting the security of the load to the data centre.
Schultz says these new generation UPS units that are extremely efficient with very high input power factors and low input distortion. "Running costs are therefore lower and the units are also 'diesel-friendly' requiring much less power from the standby diesel gensets compared to the original units. A special software package provides intelligent power monitoring capabilities.
"The Silcon UPS units employ Delta conversion online technology that realises cost saving benefits for users through reduced energy consumption, installation, wiring, air conditioning, harmonic distortion and maintenance costs."
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Square One Power Solutions is a national UPS company, an APC High Power Partner and a member of the JSE-listed Square One Solutions Group. It provides power solutions for the SOHO, PCA and SME network environment, telecommunications, medical, security, lighting and general industry as well as major corporations and government.
Parent company Square One Solutions Group Limited is listed on the JSE and provides integrated IT-based solutions to corporate, retail and government clients through a reseller channel that, in turn, integrates such solutions for end-users. The core business of the company encompasses document handling and information sharing solutions; networking; hardware, software and consumable products distribution; Internet, IT security (biometrics) and e-commerce technologies; data storage; variable data product marking and coding solutions; uninterruptible power supplies; and value-added business services.
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