Transcript
Take it Outside: Providing Stored Energy Solutions for Today’s Most Critical Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Applications
Introduction The rapid growth of integrated networks and systems has led to an increasing demand for dependable and continuous power. To support a reliable supply of electrical energy to power these networks and systems in the event of an outage on the electric grid, the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system serves as a source of nearly instantaneous backup power. Strings of batteries typically power these UPS systems, providing energy that is available to support critical operations when an outage occurs. As integrated networks and systems quickly evolve, new challenges arise that demand innovative solutions. With an infrastructure of approximately 9,500 employees and more than 30 manufacturing and assembly plants worldwide, EnerSys® stands in the forefront of manufacturing capability and new product development. The knowledge and experience of its global network provides EnerSys® with the resources to provide capacity optimization solutions for stored energy applications. As the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, EnerSys® has responded to the changing needs of UPS systems. The recently introduced DataSafe® XE battery is the first Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) battery designed for today’s critical UPS applications. VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosures by EnerSys® also address challenges that battery backup systems pose in critical power environments. These challenges include occupying valuable indoor space, exposing backup batteries to the UPS system’s radiant heat and consumption of additional energy to power air conditioning at a low enough temperature to maintain an optimal environment for backup batteries. Take it Outside: Equipping the Battery Backup System for Outdoor Placement When selecting a battery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recommends sizing it at its lowest expected temperature, which is typically 68º F (20º C) for outdoor applications and 77º F (25º C) for indoor applications. An ideal ambient temperature can be difficult to maintain if the battery backup system is not equipped with thermal management technology, especially for cooling. While the electronic components in the UPS system typically tolerate a much wider range of temperatures than the batteries, it is also easier to direct cooling air to them than it is to batteries, which often get minimal cooling, if any. When this equipment is located indoors, the task of maintaining temperatures that are ideal for UPS and other backup power equipment is complicated. Many UPS systems lack adequate cooling for the backup batteries, especially in the case of modular and
Zac Slovarp | Marketing Manager, Enclosures |
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Take it Outside: Providing Stored Energy Solutions for Today’s Most Critical Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Applications
containerized UPS systems. This often places additional energy demands on the facility’s air conditioning system, as the indoor environment must be kept cool enough to safeguard backup batteries. The placement of UPS systems indoors also takes up valuable facility space, which can be used for other, more profit-producing equipment and additional workspace for personnel. This is especially critical in operations with a high value on floor space, such as hospitals. An alternative solution is to “take it outside”; i.e., to move the battery backup system outdoors in an enclosure designed for outdoor use. Thermal management technology, which includes air conditioning and heating, provides an environment for optimum performance and longevity of UPS batteries that are housed in outdoor enclosures. Most air conditioning units deployed in support of outdoor enclosures are closed-loop systems based on a vapor compression cycle: The refrigerant changes from liquid to gas (evaporation), which absorbs heat from within the enclosure and transfers it to the outside air. This cools and removes humidity from the enclosure. Air conditioning is energy efficient, as there is a small amount of energy loss during the cycle, and it can manage a large heat load, making it reliable in even very high-temperature climates. Managing a large heat load makes air conditioning among the highest performing thermalmanagement technologies, as it is able to cool an enclosure’s interior far below high ambient air temperatures. Thermal management technology will also heat the interior far above low ambient air temperatures. Thermally managed enclosures help enable the batteries to operate for their entire service life, reduce maintenance and require less frequent replacement by protecting the batteries from extreme temperature, inclement weather and other outdoor conditions. The VaultFlex™ UPS Outdoor Enclosure To maintain the proper operating temperature for backup batteries in the most extreme environments, the VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure comes equipped with air conditioning and heating with efficiency that results in minimal energy consumption and reduced cooling costs. The VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure is designed to operate in an ambient temperature range of -22º F (-30º C) to 113º F (45º C). Constructed of corrosion-resistant aluminum with steel racks and rails, the VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure is rated for outdoor use. The thermal management features of VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosures deliver the following benefits: −
Additional indoor space - Moving the housing of backup batteries for UPS systems outdoors will make additional space inside of the facility available for other equipment and personnel. Even though the battery backup system is outdoors, it is still protected from the elements and extreme temperatures.
Zac Slovarp | Marketing Manager, Enclosures |
[email protected] © 2016 EnerSys. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of EnerSys and its affiliates unless otherwise noted. Subject to revisions without prior notice. E.&O.E. Page 2
Take it Outside: Providing Stored Energy Solutions for Today’s Most Critical Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Applications
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Placement adjacent to UPS system - The battery backup power system can be installed in a position that is adjacent to modular, containerized UPS systems, which typically lack adequate cooling to protect the batteries from premature failure. The VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure can maintain a temperature of 68º F (20º C) in low ambient temperatures, and slightly below 77º F (25º C) in high ambient temperatures.
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Air conditioning set at higher temperatures - If the VaultFlex™ UPS enclosure is installed inside of the facility, it is no longer necessary to set the air conditioning at a lower temperature for that room, provided all other equipment in the room will tolerate higher temperatures, which is typical of most installations. By using the enclosure’s air conditioner to maintain a temperature specified for the backup batteries, the facility’s air conditioning does not need to be set at an artificially low temperature, which results in savings on cost and consumption of energy.
Temperature levels activate the thermal management features of the VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure. If the ambient temperature drops below 32º F (0º C), the heater will maintain a temperature of 68º F (20º C) inside of the enclosure. If the ambient temperature rises above 46º F (8º C), the air conditioner will maintain a temperature of 77º F (25º C), and for temperatures up to 110º F (43º C), the air conditioner will keep the
Zac Slovarp | Marketing Manager, Enclosures |
[email protected] © 2016 EnerSys. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of EnerSys and its affiliates unless otherwise noted. Subject to revisions without prior notice. E.&O.E. Page 3
Take it Outside: Providing Stored Energy Solutions for Today’s Most Critical Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Applications
temperature inside of the enclosure from exceeding 86º F (30º C). VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosures are available in a range of voltages and breaker ratings to accommodate a wide variety of battery backup system requirements. The VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure also includes passive ventilation that mitigates hydrogen gas. It is constructed to protect backup batteries from earthquakes in compliance with seismic certifications IBC (2015), ASCE 7-10, CBC (2016) and California OSHPD healthcare infrastructure requirements. It is also certified for safety in compliance with UL® 1778. Other features of the VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure include thick insulation, which reduces the impact of solar loading and power consumption, built-in security features, an option to split the battery string (through the breaker), circuit breaker reporting and actuator options. The DataSafe® XE Battery for UPS Applications The enclosure, however, is only part of the overall battery backup system for UPS applications; the other important element is the batteries themselves. Needs have evolved from the 15-minute rate discharges required of UPS systems to support main frame computers of the past to rate discharges of five minutes or less that modern, globally interconnected networks now demand. Trends such as cloud storage, the availability of data/communications equipment and bandwidth to retail customers for rent, and modular and containerized power, as well as shorter run times and higher ambient temperatures, have placed new demands on UPS batteries. In response, EnerSys® introduced the DataSafe® XE battery, the first and only TPPL battery to be designed for UPS applications. EnerSys® manufactures the DataSafe® XE battery’s TPPL plates in a proprietary, continuous and highly controlled grid fabrication process for maximum consistency. Advanced, high-purity lead and acid provide more efficient energy consumption. The use of proprietary manufacturing processes and pure materials also results in less electrical resistance and greater conductivity by forming a unique, solid reaction surface. The TPPL technology also fosters greater conductivity and lowering resistance by greatly reducing both grid corrosion and grid growth common in conventional alloyed lead acid batteries, which typically experience calcification. Another advantage of high-purity materials is reduced gas generation within the cell. As a result, DataSafe® XE batteries have an extended operating temperature range of -40º F (-40º C) to 122º F (50º C), enabling users to reduce cooling costs. The lack of impurities also improves the battery’s service life, and extends shelf life by as much as three times that of conventional batteries. The use of pure lead in TPPL technology enables plates to be made as thin as 1 millimeter (as opposed to a thickness of 2-4 millimeters for conventional alloyed lead acid batteries), so that as much as 20 percent more plates will fit in each two-volt cell than conventional AGM batteries. Pure lead plates are denser and require less space between them. This results in increased surface area, better active materials utilization and greater
Zac Slovarp | Marketing Manager, Enclosures |
[email protected] © 2016 EnerSys. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of EnerSys and its affiliates unless otherwise noted. Subject to revisions without prior notice. E.&O.E. Page 4
Take it Outside: Providing Stored Energy Solutions for Today’s Most Critical Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Applications
power density. With this energy-dense design, smaller, lighter batteries are able to achieve the same run times as larger conventional lead acid batteries, with reduced recharge rates. Following a full discharge, the DataSafe® XE battery can achieve 100 percent State of Charge (SOC) in 50 percent less time, compared with conventional lead acid batteries. The enhanced density of TPPL batteries like the DataSafe® XE battery provides discharge rates from 30 seconds to five minutes, and a wider operating temperature range that requires less cooling of the UPS system’s environment. TPPL technology also enables the DataSafe® XE battery to have a higher cyclic capability, as much as 25 percent longer service life (seven years or longer) and a longer shelf life (17 months) than lead-calcium batteries at 77º F (25º C). Battery Backup Systems for UPS Applications A battery backup system comprised of DataSafe® XE batteries housed in a VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure is among the most effective solutions for outdoor placement, placement adjacent to modular and containerized UPS systems, or even placement indoors with room air conditioning set at temperatures as much as 10º F (approximately 5.5º C) higher. The VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure supports 480V and 384V strings of DataSafe® XE front terminal batteries. Warranties The VaultFlex™ UPS outdoor enclosure is protected with a five-year limited warranty and the thermal system is protected by a limited two-year limited warranty. A five-year limited warranty supports the DataSafe® XE battery. EnerSys® Service and Support EnerSys® offers 24/7 nationwide service, covering product procurement, installation and ongoing support. Availability through the global EnerSys® distribution channel streamlines the process of building and managing a world-class stored energy system. ABOUT ENERSYS® EnerSys, the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures and distributes reserve power and motive power batteries, battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories and outdoor equipment enclosure solutions to customers worldwide. Motive power batteries and chargers are utilized in electric forklift trucks and other commercial electric powered vehicles. Reserve power batteries are used in the telecommunication and utility industries, uninterruptible power supplies, and numerous applications requiring stored energy solutions including medical, aerospace and defense systems. Outdoor equipment enclosure products are utilized in the telecommunication, cable, utility, transportation industries and by government and defense customers. The company also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers from over 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world.
Zac Slovarp | Marketing Manager, Enclosures |
[email protected] © 2016 EnerSys. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of EnerSys and its affiliates unless otherwise noted. Subject to revisions without prior notice. E.&O.E. Page 5
