Network Spotlight UPS
Martin Ryder, channel sales director, Northern Europe at Vertiv sheds a light on lithium-ion uninterruptible power supply for distributed IT and edge network computing applications.
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f a customer needs to set up localised IT resources, they may be thinking of deploying multiple IT footprints in remote locations as part of a distributed computing or edge network; a
bank, financial services or retail company might want to set up IT deployments at branch offices or store locations; education or healthcare establishments might want to deploy IT footprints on multiple college or hospital campuses over a wide geographic area; and industrial companies might want to establish edge computing infrastructure at several manufacturing facilities. Whatever the industry, the facilities for hosting localised IT footprints could be small data centres, server rooms or network closets. A key element for protecting critical infrastructure at remote
sites or the edge is a high-efficiency Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) system. Often, these deployments rely on a single-phase or small three-phase UPS which requires a reliable stored energy source such as a battery system to power the IT infrastructure. If a power outage occurs, the batteries may be needed to provide backup power to allow adequate time for the utility to be restored, for IT administrators to migrate virtual IT environments to stable sites, or for the operations systems to conduct an automatic controlled power shutdown of connected equipment. Therefore, it is critical that the battery system operates correctly at the crucial moment when the UPS is needed to deliver backup power. For scenarios like these, lithium-ion batteries are ideal because they
address the drawbacks of traditional Valve-Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries, which are more traditionally used for UPS systems. Most people associate lithium-ion batteries with powering laptops and mobile phones, but they are now being adopted for use in UPS applications because they offer more reliable performance, require less maintenance, and have a higher power density than lead acid batteries. There are many benefits to using lithium-ion batteries. They offer a
longer lifespan (typically 8-10 years, which is roughly the lifespan of the UPS itself in comparison to about three to five years for VRLA batteries), perform better at higher temperatures (reducing the expenses and energy required for rack cooling), and require reduced maintenance expenses (with fewer battery replacements). Lithium-ion batteries are also significantly more compact and lighter, weighing 40% to 60% less and having a 40% smaller footprint than their VRLA counterparts. And as they have a wide operating temperature
range, they become applicable for more extreme, non- traditional settings and facilities that don’t have sufficient cooling capabilities, making them more
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suitable for edge computing. They can operate normally at temperatures of up to 40ºC without compromising performance. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries come with an advanced
integrated battery management system (BMS). This provides an accurate picture of the battery’s health and runtime and protects the battery cells against current, temperature and over- or under- charging. The BMS continuously adjusts battery charging to get the most out of performance and battery life. Lithium-ion batteries are also suitable for many applications
where frequent charge and discharge cycles are expected. While VRLA batteries can take over six hours to charge from 0% to 90% of full runtime capacity, lithium-ion batteries can take as little as two hours to recharge. That reduces the overall risk of experiencing an outage before UPS batteries have been fully charged. These inherent benefits give lithium-Ion users a total cost of
ownership (TCO) that is up to 50% lower than a similar UPS using VRLA batteries during the typical life of the UPS. Some products feature a high-power factor (0.9-1.0) and efficiency up to 95% in online mode and up to 98% in active ECO mode, enabling further savings on energy and costs. After selecting the right UPS for the specific application, it is
key to also rely on correct deployment and maintenance to get the most out of it. In fact, a broad variety of project services
supporting the deployment at site - the proper installation and control settings, the start-up of the equipment and the testing of the application - should be integral parts of the power strategy. Additionally, ensuring that it is functioning at its optimal level is just as important. This means regular maintenance and effective troubleshooting are a prerequisite to maximise UPS performance. As edge computing, IoT and 5G continue to expand and become the
new backbone of digitalisation, distributors and resellers need to be able to offer their customers efficient solutions to protect small and micro-IT sites against power outages.
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