• About Us
  • Partnership Opportunities
  • Privacy Policy

Data Center Frontier

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing.

  • Cloud
    • Hyperscale
  • Colo
    • Site Selection
    • Interconnection
  • Energy
    • Sustainability
  • Cooling
  • Technology
    • Internet of Things
    • AI & Machine Learning
    • Edge Computing
    • Virtual Reality
    • Autonomous Cars
    • 5G Wireless
    • Satellites
  • Design
    • Servers
    • Storage
    • Network
  • Voices
  • Podcast
  • White Papers
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
    • Events
    • Newsletter
    • Companies
    • Data Center 101
  • Jobs
You are here: Home / Energy / Faster Flywheel Brings Longer UPS Backup for Active Power

Faster Flywheel Brings Longer UPS Backup for Active Power

By Rich Miller - September 13, 2016 Leave a Comment

Faster Flywheel Brings Longer UPS Backup for Active Power

The Active Power CleanSource 275XT flywheel UPS system, which offers longer runtime than previous flywheel systems. (Image: Active Power)

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

How long do you need emergency power before your backup generators kick in? It’s a critical question for data centers, who rely on uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS) to keep their servers and storage online during utility power outages.

This “ride-through” power has been the central issue in a long-running industry debate about the merits of flywheel-based UPS systems, which typically provide 15 to 20 seconds of power at full load.

Active Power hopes to alter that debate. The flywheel UPS specialist today announced the CleanSource 275XT, which is designed to provide longer runtime than previous flywheels, in some cases up to a minute of emergency power. By boosting the ride-through time, Active Power hopes to address a larger market and shift the conversation to highlight other selling points of Its flywheel systems.

The Flywheel Alternative

A flywheel is a spinning cylinder which generates power from kinetic energy, and continues to spin when grid power is interrupted. Although a flywheel offers a shorter ride-through time (about 15 to 20 seconds), it eliminates the need to replace batteries and requires less space. Many data center managers are wary of the short duration of flywheel power, preferring the longer window provided by battery UPS systems, just in case there are any delays starting the generators.

The CleanSource 275XT (extended runtime) UPS provides 25 seconds of runtime at full load, versus 15 seconds for earlier Active Power products. The company says the runtime can be as long as a minute for customers with 40 to 50 percent loads, which is typical of many mission-critical facilities. The previous runtime for these lower loads was about 28 to 30 seconds, Active Power says.

“We’ve had many requests for this from customers,” said Anderson Hungria, senior product manager for UPS at Active Power. “A lot of end users are looking for a little more runtime margin. We’ve seen some specs from a lot of customers for (backup time of) a minute. Our goal is to go back to these customers that previously rejected us on runtime, and start new conversations.”[clickToTweet tweet=”Anderson Hungria: A lot of end users are looking for a little more UPS runtime margin.” quote=”Anderson Hungria: A lot of end users are looking for a little more UPS runtime margin.”]

There are two ways to generate longer runtime with a flywheel UPS – spinning the flywheel faster, or making it bigger. The CleanSource 275XT spins at 10,000 rotations per minute, or about 30 percent faster than previous UPS systems.

To accomplish this, Active Power made some updates to the ball bearings, which can support a higher pulse to drive a faster spin, while retaining the same temperature limits and same lifespan of about four years. Some additional components of the UPS have also been refined to accommodate higher wheel speed.

One Minute A Key Benchmark?

The new system can support up to 275 KVA of power. Many large data centers use higher capacity UPS systems supporting 750 kW to one megawatt at a time.

“We know most customers are deploying more than 300 kVA,” said Todd Kiehn, Vice President of Marketing and Modular Infrastructure Solutions, who said Active Power will introduce extended runtime UPS systems at higher capacities in 2017. In the meantime, the modular design will allow users to run multiple systems in parallel to support additional capacity.

Free Resource from Data Center Frontier White Paper Library

UPS systems
High Efficiency Modes of Operation: Path Toward Highest Energy Efficiency Without Load Availability Trade-Off
The most common UPS topology currently used in the industry is double conversion; nevertheless, most UPS suppliers have introduced Eco Modes of operation to further increase the levels of efficiency of the UPS. Download the new paper from Vertiv, which analyzes potential drawbacks of Eco Mode types of operation, further highlights elements to consider when using these modes of operation, and gives a review of field results for technologies like the Liebert Trinergy Cube UPS and more. 
We always respect your privacy and we never sell or rent our list to third parties. By downloading this White Paper you are agreeing to our terms of service. You can opt out at any time.

Get this PDF emailed to you.

The CleanSource 275XT will be about the same price as the company’s existing Clean Source 300 offering, Hungria said, while offering the same look and feel of current Active Power units.

Kiehn says the extended backup window creates a meaningful expansion of the market for flywheel UPS.

“We’ve been tracking this for a long time,” said Kiehn. “About a quarter of our customers are asking for less than a minute. We think providing an extra 15 to 30 seconds will help, especially with the psychological and emotional factors (in evaluating runtime).

“About half of our installed base is mission-critical but not data center,” said Kiehn, who cited hospitals as a target customer segment, as they need reliable UPS backup but also have limited space.

Hyperscale Seen As Growth Area

“On the data center side, interest started with the hyperscale and web scale companies, who have been engineering their facilities to take out cost and footprint,”said Kiehn. “As that has become more visible through initiative like the Open Compute project, we’ve seen this interest trickle down to enterprise companies and some colocation providers.”

It’s not Active Power’s first effort to address customer concerns about ride-through time. In 2012, Active Power introduced a UPS with hybrid capabilities, allowing users to augment the flywheel with batteries to extend the ride-through time.

“With the CleanSource 275XT, Active Power sets the standard for the longest runtime UPS with permanent energy storage flywheel that we see in the market today,” said Mark A. Ascolese, president and CEO, for Active Power

CleanSource 275XT will be available for shipment to customers worldwide in the fourth quarter 2016. Additional configurations and options will be available in the first half of 2017.

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Tagged With: Active Power, Flywheel

Newsletters

Stay informed: Get our weekly updates!

Are you a new reader? Follow Data Center Frontier on Twitter or Facebook.

About Rich Miller

I write about the places where the Internet lives, telling the story of data centers and the people who build them. I founded Data Center Knowledge, the data center industry's leading news site. Now I'm exploring the future of cloud computing at Data Center Frontier.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Voices of the Industry

How to Simplify Distributed IT Management? Focus on the Tools to Improve Flexibility and Efficiency

How to Simplify Distributed IT Management? Focus on the Tools to Improve Flexibility and Efficiency Russell Senesac, Director of Data Center Strategy at Schneider Electric, explores how to address distributed IT management and the tools available today.

DCF Spotlight

The COVID-19 Crisis and the Data Center Industry

The COVID-19 pandemic presents strategic challenges for the data center and cloud computing sectors. Data Center Frontier provides a one-stop resource for the latest news and analysis for decision-makers navigating this complex new landscape.

An aerial view of major facilities in Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia. (Image: Loudoun County)

Northern Virginia Data Center Market: The Focal Point for Cloud Growth

The Northern Virginia data center market is seeing a surge in supply and an even bigger surge in demand. Data Center Frontier explores trends, stats and future expectations for the No. 1 data center market in the country.

See More Spotlight Features

White Papers

HSE solutions

360 Degrees of Health and Safety Assurance

Maintaining a safe and healthy work environment is a crucial responsibility of employers, and most companies have a health and safety policy to prevent injuries and illnesses at work. But who makes sure that the policy is enforced? Download the new white paper from Stream Data Centers that explores why expert protocols are required to support your enterprise’s health and safety mission. 

Get this PDF emailed to you.

We always respect your privacy and we never sell or rent our list to third parties. By downloading this White Paper you are agreeing to our terms of service. You can opt out at any time.

Newsletters

Get the Latest News from Data Center Frontier

Job Listings

RSS Job Openings | Peter Kazella and Associates, Inc

  • Data Center Facility Manager - San Jose, CA
  • Senior Electrical Commissioning Engineer - Nashville, TN
  • UPS Field Service Technician - Boston, MA
  • Data Center Facility Engineer - TS/SCI - Columbia, MD
  • Construction Project Manager - Data Center - Papillion, NE

See More Jobs

Data Center 101

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Open Spectrum, brings our readers a series that provides an introductory guidebook to the ins and outs of the data center and colocation industry. Think power systems, cooling, solutions, data center contracts and more. The Data Center 101 Special Report series is directed to those new to the industry, or those of our readers who need to brush up on the basics.

  • Data Center Power
  • Data Center Cooling
  • Strategies for Data Center Location
  • Data Center Pricing Negotiating
  • Cloud Computing

See More Data center 101 Topics

About Us

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing. We write about what’s next for the Internet, and the innovations that will take us there. We tell the story of the digital economy through the data center facilities that power cloud computing and the people who build them. Read more ...
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Our Founder

Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 15 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution. Meet the DCF team.

TOPICS

  • 5G Wireless
  • Cloud
  • Colo
  • Connected Cars
  • Cooling
  • Cornerstone
  • Coronavirus
  • Design
  • Edge Computing
  • Energy
  • Executive Roundtable
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Hyperscale
  • Interconnection
  • Internet of Things
  • Machine Learning
  • Network
  • Podcast
  • Servers
  • Site Selection
  • Social Business
  • Special Reports
  • Storage
  • Sustainability
  • Videos
  • Virtual Reality
  • Voices of the Industry
  • White Paper

Copyright Data Center Frontier LLC © 2021