Data Center

DATA
CENTERS
W IN TER E DITION
Contents
3 — What to look for in NFPA 72-2022

14 — SENS MicroGenius 2 Product & Technology Overview
15 — Energy storage: A component of energy conservation
29 — A New Approach To High Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
42 — Transformer protection is essential for reliable power
58 — Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic Migration System
59 — Choosing active and passive fire protection systems
71 — Extended Reach Fiber Applications
78 — Data center facility meshes with modern office
2
What to look for in NFPA 72-2022
What to look for in
This article is a look at some of the significant changes that may be included NFPA 72-2022
in the 2022 edition of NFPA 72
SENS MicroGenius 2
Product & Technology
F ire alarm systems are just one of many critical components to ensuring the life
safety of building occupants as well as property protection to the structure and its
contents. As an active fire protection system, design professionals and installers must
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
not only ensure compliance with the applicable codes and standards, but also ensure conservation
the fire alarm aligns with the client/end-user’s goals and the building fire strategy. A New Approach To High
Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
The applicable building and fire codes define when a fire alarm system is required to
be installed and identifies the applicable edition of NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Transformer protection is
essential for reliable power
Signaling Code. Once it is established that the fire alarm is required, NFPA 72 outlines
how to design, install, test and maintain the system. It is important to note that the Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
changes discussed here are not final and may be revised as the standards development
process progresses. Choosing active and passive
fire protection systems
Why should fire protection engineers be concerned about 2022 edition when building Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
and fire codes are still referencing much older editions? On some projects, the authori-
ty having jurisdiction may elect to apply the most current codes/standards or the de- Data center facility meshes
with modern office
sign professionals may seek approval from the AHJ to apply the most current if there
is a technology or application that was not addressed by the older editions. The most
current edition may also help clarify requirements from previous editions.
Where in the standards development process is the 2022 edition? In short, closing out
step two (of four). The NFPA standards development process is about a three-year pro-
cess that consists of:
3
Step 1: Public input. What to look for in

Step 2: Public comment.
NFPA 72-2022
Step 3: NFPA technical meeting. SENS MicroGenius 2
Step 4: Council appeals/issue of document.
Overview
The second draft report was posted in January, and the closing date for the notice of Energy storage: A
component of energy
intent to make a motion was February. Certified notices will be reviewed by the NFPA conservation
membership at the NFPA Technical Meeting, taking place digitally in 2021.
A New Approach To High
Chapter 3: Definitions Charger Design
Why are definitions important in NFPA 72? To describe terminology used in the con- Transformer protection is
text of the code. In the next edition, expect the following new definitions: authorized essential for reliable power
personnel, one-way radio communications, two-way radio communications, constantly Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
attended, control equipment, cybersecurity, emergency personnel, minimum hearing Migration System
distance, observation, remote access, signaling system, supervised notification appli- Choosing active and passive
ance control circuit and surge protective device. fire protection systems
Extended Reach Fiber

Also, the term “energy storage systems” has been updated to “stored-energy emer- Applications
gency power supply systems” to be consistent with the reference standard NFPA 111: Data center facility meshes
Standard on Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby Power Systems. with modern office
Chapter 7: Documentation
How can a contractor know the performance level a circuit is intended to achieve? The
2022 edition will help clarify any potential uncertainty by requiring the design docu-
ments to indicate the pathway class and survivability level. Also, the record of com-
pletion and record of inspection and testing forms will incorporate minor revisions to
4
reflect the term revision of What to look for in

stored-energy emergency
NFPA 72-2022
power supply systems. SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Chapter 10: Funda-
Energy storage: A
mentals component of energy
For many editions of NFPA conservation
72, an automatic detector A New Approach To High
has been required at the Power Switchmode Battery
location of each control unit, Charger Design
notification appliance circuit Transformer protection is

power extender and super- essential for reliable power
vising station transmitting Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

equipment when the area is Migration System
not continuously occupied. Choosing active and passive
Figure 1: NFPA 72 will permit the
This has not changed; however, the next edition adds fire protection systems
detector at the location of each
language that permits the detector to be eliminated control unit, notification appliance Extended Reach Fiber
circuit power extender and Applications
where a risk analysis shows it is not required and where
supervising station transmitting
acceptable to the AHJ. equipment to be eliminated Data center facility meshes
where a risk analysis shows it is not with modern office
required and where acceptable to
Have you ever seen nonfunctional equipment installed in
the authority having jurisdiction.
buildings? The 2022 edition will require abandoned fire Courtesy: Arup
alarm equipment to be removed and be marked “not in
service” while it remains installed.
Also new, the capacity of batteries will require an additional 5% capacity, changing
5
from 20% safety margin to 25% to account for battery degradation over the life of a What to look for in
battery. The installer will be required to label the battery with a replacement date that
NFPA 72-2022
does not exceed four years from the date of installation. Effective Jan. 1, 2024, any SENS MicroGenius 2
rechargeable batteries used for secondary power will be required to be listed or recog-
Overview
nized by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
Chapter 11: Cybersecurity conservation
Chapter 11 has been titled cybersecurity and references the associated Annex J to
address cybersecurity guidance. Given the complex nature of the subject and the rapid Power Switchmode Battery
rate at which this field is progressing, specific requirements have not been added in Charger Design
the enforceable body section of the code. Transformer protection is
Chapter 12 and 24: Circuits and Pathways and Emergency Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
Communications Systems
Choosing active and passive
The survivability requirements have undergone a major update this cycle. The task
group has spent hours meeting to understand the history, potential failures, material Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
installation requirements and revising the current requirement. Primarily institutional
occupancies including health care facilities and high-rise building’s use relocation and Data center facility meshes
with modern office
partial evacuation strategies. These buildings can be constructed with no fire resis-
tance or more than two hours. The fire alarm system must be able to evacuate occu-
pants that are not notified during the initial alarm.
For a fire alarm cable system to be survivable from fire, the cable must be attached to
a structure that can withstand a fire at least equal to the fire rating of the cable. With
cable manufacturers introducing a one-hour fire rated cable, the 2022 edition added
6
a pathway survivability level 4. For buildings with a fire resistance rating that is at least What to look for in
one-hour and less than two hours, the new level 4 pathway survivability would be al-
NFPA 72-2022
lowed. SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Fire alarm systems have the capability to communicate through redundant pathways
(Class N and X), however NFPA 72 has not recognized these capabilities regarding sur- Energy storage: A
component of energy
vivability until the 2016 edition. When the outgoing and return circuits are separated conservation
by one-third the diagonal of the compartment, cable in conduit (Level 1) is permitted
in a sprinklered building. This separation is difficult to maintain in the core of high-rise Power Switchmode Battery
buildings and fire-rated cable or enclosures would be required when the cables are Charger Design
within one-third the diagonal. Transformer protection is
In buildings using relocation and partial evacuation, the fire alarm equipment is re- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
quired to be located within a two-hour rated enclosure, but the communication be- Migration System
tween these rooms must be maintained during a fire. In a sprinklered building, the Choosing active and passive
proposed language in the 2022 edition would allow cable in conduit if the redundant fire protection systems
communications are separated by a floor assembly, a minimum of one-hour construc- Extended Reach Fiber
tion or at least one-third the maximum diagonal of the notification zone. Applications
Data center facility meshes

For example, in a high-rise building where we typically evacuate the floor in alarm plus with modern office
the floor below and the floor above, the fire alarm equipment would be located with-
in a two-hour rated room on every third floor. This equipment serves the notification
appliances on the floor above and below this room. Nonrated fire alarm cable in con-
duit would be permitted for the communication between these rooms, however special
attention must be made for the return or redundant communication pathway.
7
For the fire alarm room on the highest level, What to look for in
the primary communication pathway could
NFPA 72-2022
enter from the floor below then the redundant SENS MicroGenius 2
pathway could be routed along this floor to
Overview
the location where the redundant path would
return through the building. The vertical return Energy storage: A
component of energy
would need to be separated by one-third the conservation
maximum diagonal of the floor or located in
dissimilar spaces that are separated by a mini- Power Switchmode Battery
mum of one-hour fire-rated construction. Charger Design
Transformer protection is
A short on a communication circuit is a com- essential for reliable power
mon failure when the insulation melts, allow- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
ing the conductors to touch and prevent all Migration System
communication from occurring between all devices on Figure 2: Language has been added
to NFPA 72 to require abandoned
that circuit. Isolation devices detect a short circuit be- fire protection systems
fire alarm equipment to be marked
tween conductors and open the circuit to allow commu- “not in service” while it remains Extended Reach Fiber
nications to remain operational except for the segment installed. Courtesy: Arup Applications
between isolation devices where the short is present. Data center facility meshes
Therefore, it is important that isolation is provided either before the first and after last with modern office
device within the rated room containing fire alarm equipment for communication to
remain operational. Stand-alone isolation modules are not required if integral isolation
is provided that provides similar functionality. Class N and X circuits are required to
operate during an open, ground fault and short condition.
As a designer or engineer of a fire alarm system, how do we know the installed fire
8
alarm system operates with this new What to look for in

approach? To test the redundant com-
NFPA 72-2022
munication for metallic conductors, SENS MicroGenius 2
individually initiate an open and ground
Overview
fault on each individual conductor and
a short between the conductors. While Energy storage: A
component of energy
maintaining the fault condition, confirm conservation
the speakers and strobes activate and
the voice message is broadcast. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
The requirements for area of refuge and Transformer protection is
elevator landing two-way communication systems also Figure 3: The 2022 edition of NFPA essential for reliable power
72 will require initiating devices
were updated to follow the same requirements for fire Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
to be supported independently
alarm systems using relocation and partial evacuation. of their attachment to circuit Migration System
New survivability requirements for occupant evacuation conductors. Courtesy: Arup
elevators lobby two-way emergency communication fire protection systems
system are now required to be a pathway survivability of level 3. Occupant evacuation Extended Reach Fiber
elevators are only permitted to be installed in sprinklered buildings therefore only one Applications
survivability level is permitted. In addition, the system must function so that a single Data center facility meshes
open, ground fault or short circuit fault does not affect communication to any other with modern office
lobby.
Since the introduction of prescriptive requirements for mass notification systems in the
2010 edition, a new UL listing has been developed for control units for mass notifica-
tion systems and most fire alarm systems have now been cross listed to the new stan-
dard. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to permit UL 864 for new installations, the
9
standard for control units and accessories for What to look for in
fire alarm systems to be used for mass notifica-
NFPA 72-2022
tion system control units. SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
The requirements found in NFPA 72 Section
24.10 for rescue assistance have undergone a Energy storage: A
component of energy
title change and major revision. These systems conservation
are required to be listed to the new UL 2525
standard. Rescue assistance systems would be Power Switchmode Battery
required to operate for 24 hours under quies- Charger Design
cent load followed by four hours with all re- Transformer protection is
mote call stations activated and master control essential for reliable power
stations annunciating calls. If these systems Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
call an off-site location, a verbal message is Migration System
provided to identify the building location be- Choosing active and passive
fore connecting to the remote call station. The fire protection systems
master control station is required to display at least 8 Figure 4: The 2022 edition of NFPA
72 will require a label to identify Extended Reach Fiber
unanswered calls that are prioritized. the indicator function as well as any Applications
equipment that is associated with
the initiating device. Courtesy: Arup
Chapter 14: Inspection, Testing and with modern office
Maintenance
In today’s virtual world, the days of remote (off-site) programming of control equip-
ment is coming. A requirement has been added clarify that when remote programming
is undertaken, a qualified representative must be on-site at the protected premise to
undertake the reacceptance testing following the site-specific software revision.
10
Chapter 17: Initiating Devices What to look for in

NFPA 72-2022
Are initiating devices required to be supported independently of their attachment to
circuit conductors? Yes, the 2022 of NFPA 72 edition adds this requirement back into SENS MicroGenius 2
the code after deletion during the last cycle. Also, remote alarm and supervisory indi- Overview
cators will be required to be labeled to identify their function as well as any equipment
Energy storage: A
that is associated with the initiating device. component of energy
conservation
Chapter 18: Notification Appliances A New Approach To High
NFPA 72 has long required that notifications appliances used for notifying occupants Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
of nonfire events shall not have the word “fire” visible to the public. This requirement
remains unchanged; however, flexibility has been added to the code in permitting field Transformer protection is
modifications to the marking as long as it is completed as per the manufacturer’s pub-
lished instructions or a permanent sign is placed adjacent to the notification appliance Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
to indicate multipurpose use of the appliance.
Chapter 21: Emergency Control Function Interfaces
A requirement to permit the installation of automatic fire detection in unsprinklered el- Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
evator hoistways for the activation of smoke relief equipment was added to align with
ASME A17.1/CSA B44: Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. The requirement also Data center facility meshes
with modern office
clarifies that the detection is to initiate elevator phase I emergency recall.
Chapter 23: Protected Premises Alarm and Signaling Systems

Similar to Chapter 14 requirements on remote programming, there are new require-
ments related to remote access to fire alarm or signaling systems. These outline stip-
ulations for permitting remote access to complete testing, maintenance, diagnostics
and software upgrades. With the exception of remote diagnostics, the other afore- 11
mentioned activities will require qualified personnel What to look for in

on-site.
NFPA 72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Also, are there performance requirements related
Overview
to the low-power radio (wireless) systems pathways?
Similar to wire pathways, performance requirements Energy storage: A
component of energy
for designating these pathways as Class A or Class B conservation
have now been defined in Chapter 23.
Chapter 26: Supervising Station Charger Design
Alarm Systems Transformer protection is

The remote programming requirements are rounded essential for reliable power
out in the next edition by identifying new require- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Figure 5: Requirements Migration System
ments relative to remote programming of protected premis-
were added to NFPA 72 to
es transmission technologies. A qualified person is required permit field modifications Choosing active and passive
to be on-site at all times during remote programming. Also, to the marking on the fire protection systems
notification appliance as long
notifications need to be made and a test plan in place as as it is completed as per the
per the requirements outlined in Chapter 14. manufacturer’s published
Applications
instructions or a permanent
sign is placed adjacent to
with modern office
Chapter 29: Single- and Multiple-Station the notification appliance to
Alarms and Household Signaling Systems indicate multipurpose use of
the appliance. Courtesy: Arup
Regarding the placement of smoke alarms and smoke de-
tectors near cooking appliances, smoke alarms or smoke de-
tectors installed between 10 and 20 feet along a horizontal flow path from a stationary
or fixed cooking appliance must have a transition period before the requirement for
implementation of the latest technology. Before May 1, 2022, these alarms and detec-
12
tors are required to be equipped with alarm silencing means, use photoelectric detec- What to look for in
tion or be listed for resistance to cooking nuisance alarms.
NFPA 72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Effective May 1, 2022, the smoke alarms and smoke detectors will be required to be
Overview
listed for resistance to cooking nuisance alarms. Similarly, for smoke alarms and smoke
detectors installed between 6 and 10 feet radially from the cooking appliance, a transi- Energy storage: A
component of energy
tion period applies. Before May 1, 2022, the devices must use photoelectric detection conservation
or be listed for resistance to cooking nuisance alarms and on/after May 1, 2022, must
comply with the latter. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
Annex I: Color Coded Tagging Program Transformer protection is
A new annex has been added to provide recommendations for color-coded system essential for reliable power
status tagging programs in an effort to establish a level of consistency where these Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
programs are required by local jurisdictions. The recommendations span tagging for Migration System
installation, service, inspection and testing, deficiencies and impairments. As with all Choosing active and passive
appendices, the material is not part of the enforceable code requirements (unless fire protection systems
modified by local jurisdictions) but are included for informational purposes. Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
Robert Accosta Jr. and Andrew Woodward Data center facility meshes
Robert Accosta Jr. is an associate with Arup and serves as an alternate member of the with modern office
NFPA 72 Technical Committee on Notification Appliances for Fire Alarm and Signaling
Systems. Andrew Woodward is an associate with Arup and serves as a principal mem-
ber of the NFPA 72 Technical Committee on Emergency Communication Systems.
13
SENS MicroGenius 2 Product & Technology Overview
What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation

Charger Design
 Transformer protection is
Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Migration System


SENS MicroGenius 2 Product & Applications
Technology Overview Data center facility meshes

with modern office
MicroGenius 2 battery chargers combine the most advanced
technology ever applied in their product class with SENS’
widely acknowledged expertise in designing and building the
industry’s highest quality, most reliable products.
14
Energy storage: A component
of energy conservation What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Energy storage must be embraced as part of energy policy, and captured in Product & Technology
standards such as ASHRAE 90.1 to maximize the environmental and resiliency Overview
benefits of increased renewable energy production Energy storage: A
component of energy
E nergy policy and efficiency standards such as ASHRAE 90.1: Energy Standard for
Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings define requirements for buildings
that save energy. However, a fundamental shift is happening in energy production that
conservation
makes it critical that standards address more than energy reduction in buildings. Stan- Charger Design
dards must also address the timing of when that energy is used because not all energy Transformer protection is
is created equally. essential for reliable power

Energy producers must match production to the demand in real time. This forces pro- Migration System
ducers into situations of high production cost at times of peak demand. If possible, Choosing active and passive
energy producers want to load their lowest-cost energy production plants first. Then fire protection systems
they ramp up higher cost plants as demand increases. Energy production cost is driven Extended Reach Fiber
by both cost of fuel available to a plant and the efficiency of the plant. At peak, utilities Applications
must operate the highest-cost plants. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Furthermore, transmission losses increase as more power is transmitted from the plants
to the consumer at peak. Therefore, energy producers try to incentivize consumers and
businesses to shift demand to the low-cost times through time of use rates, demand
charges, grid-enabled devices and real-time pricing.
Some regions of the country are in a transition where renewable energy sources have
15
Energy storage: A component of energy conservation

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation
Charger Design

Migration System


Applications

with modern office
become a significant portion of energy production (see Figure 1: This shows the energy
production percentage by
Figure 1). Figure 2 shows how this is projected to grow
source for selected states, with
through 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information data from Energy Information
Administration. Some states have set a goal to eliminate Administration, California
Energy Commission and Dallas
use of fossil fuels for energy production within this same
Observer. Courtesy: Trane
timeframe. This is being driven by both decarbonization Technologies
16
efforts and the falling cost of solar photovoltaics and wind compared to fossil fuel What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
generation facilities.
SENS MicroGenius 2
This progress, however, does come with some growing pains. For regions with a large Overview
penetration of renewables, some renewable energy sources produce energy when the
Energy storage: A
underlying energy source, such as wind or solar, is available, not when it is needed.
component of energy
Therefore, renewable energy makes it difficult for energy producers to match load to conservation
demand. In some markets there is so much renewable energy production that produc-
tion is curtailed due to lack of demand. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
California enacted daily curtailment of solar power in 2019. To be clear, these curtail- Transformer protection is
ments only represent 3% of the 2019 solar energy production, but the trends grow essential for reliable power
each year as more solar capacity is installed.
Migration System
In the article, “California has too much solar power. That might be good for ratepay-
ers,” the Los Angeles Times reported that at around 1 p.m. May 27, 2019, “Solar plant fire protection systems
operators shut off a record total of about 4,700 megawatts of capacity at the same time
— nearly 40% of the entire solar capacity installed on the California grid.” Applications

This anomaly highlights the opportunity to use energy storage systems to bring de- with modern office
mand and production together in time. Expanded use of TOU rates and even real-time
pricing models may be used by energy producers to encourage consumers to help
with the problem. In addition, grid operators such as CAISO are working with utilities
to develop flexible resources that includes more granular demand models and flexible
capacity requirements including reserves and the ability to add or trim capacity quickly.
17

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation
Charger Design

Migration System
Another way to look at this is that not all energy saved is Figure 2: Shown is the Choosing active and passive
projected growth of renewable fire protection systems
equal. For example, if a new code requirement saves energy
energy production through
in the middle of the night in East Texas, where wind turbines 2050. Courtesy: U.S. Energy Extended Reach Fiber
Information Administration, Applications
produce much more energy than is consumed, were the
Annual Energy Outlook 2020
goals of energy savings realized? Did it improve economic Data center facility meshes
with modern office
resiliency or reduce demand on the international energy
supply chain? Did that saved energy reduce the detrimental environmental effects of
burning fossil fuels?
The same could be said for reducing energy usage during the sunniest part of the day
in southern California, where solar power dominates production.
18
Several codes and standards encourage energy production on-site. For example, the What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
California Energy Commission states that solar will be included in all new homes start-
ing in 2020 and ASHRAE 90.1 provides several exceptions to prescriptive requirements SENS MicroGenius 2
when the building has on-site renewable energy generation. If the energy generated Overview
by these on-site systems is not consumed on-site, but put back into the grid, it can
Energy storage: A
aggravate the problem.
component of energy
conservation
Therefore, to remain viable in the future, energy standards such as ASHRAE 90.1 must
fundamentally change how the standard addresses energy savings to include two mea- Power Switchmode Battery
sures. These standards must consider both energy savings and timing of that energy Charger Design
savings to coincide with the times when the energy savings achieves the underlying Transformer protection is
economic and environmental goals. essential for reliable power

Energy storage plays a key role in managing the timing. In some cases, energy storage Migration System
systems will use more energy at the building. Therefore, standards need a way to make
sure that the environmental benefits of matching demand to production outweigh the fire protection systems
cost associated with higher energy usage. Building analysis using TOU is an appropri-
ate tool to evaluate the trade-offs. Applications

Time of use rates with modern office
One way that utilities can try to match load to the lowest-cost power production is to
use economic incentives such as TOU rates, demand charges and demand response
controls. These options are not available or consistent in every location. For example,
a survey of 2,757 utilities done in 2019 by NREL — each with multiple rate schedules
— showed that 56% of the rate schedules did not include demand charges. However,
of the 44% that did, the average demand charge was $10.18/kilowatt with a standard
19

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation
Charger Design

Migration System
deviation of $7.35/kilowatt and a maxi- Table 1: This describes four types of energy storage
systems. Courtesy: Trane Technologies Choosing active and passive
mum of $90.37/kilowatt. Clearly energy
storage benefits vary by location.
Applications
TOU rates are not new to building energy codes such as ASHRAE 90.1. Building design
engineers are allowed to use TOU rates in their calculations to show energy cost sav- Data center facility meshes
with modern office
ings when using the performance method in Appendix G. What is new, however, is that
for the first time the ASHRAE 90.1 committee has decided to allow TOU rates to be
used to calculate energy cost savings associated with prescriptive requirements.
Figure 3 shows the demand and net demand less solar energy production for electri-
cal energy in California for select days in 2020. As the sun goes down at night, solar
generation drops off significantly and ultimately stops altogether — at the same time 20
demand increases as What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
consumers come home
from work, turn up the SENS MicroGenius 2
air conditioning, cook Overview
meals, turn on lighting
Energy storage: A
and enjoy evening en-
component of energy
tertainment. Because conservation
renewable sources are
not available, nonrenew- Power Switchmode Battery
able energy plants must Charger Design
be fired up to meet the Transformer protection is
peak demand. essential for reliable power

Some utilities institute Migration System
demand charges during
this peak to incentivize fire protection systems
the consumer to curtail demand and to recover Figure 3: Energy demand and net demand, less
solar on select days, is shown in this duck curve Extended Reach Fiber
their costs. To further illustrate this point, Figure Applications
from 2020 data from California Independent
3 shows this same peak demand charge overlaid System Operator. Courtesy: Trane Technologies
with the July 15 data from Figure 3. with modern office
One solution to benefit both the consumer and the utility is to shift load from high-de-
mand time period to low-demand time period using energy storage systems.
One option for shifting this load in a warm climate is chilled water storage. Consider a
300,000-square-foot health care facility with high cooling loads in a southern climate.
21
It has 1,000 tons of peak What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
cooling and anticipated
energy costs of $750,000 SENS MicroGenius 2
per year. This facility has Overview
a utility rate structure that
Energy storage: A
was recently adopted by
component of energy
ASHRAE 90.1 to represent conservation
a representative time of
use schedule. The figure Power Switchmode Battery
outlines this schedule for Charger Design
a summer weekday, show- Transformer protection is
ing that demand charges essential for reliable power
and consumption charges
approximately double during an eight-hour pe- Figure 4: Demand charge peak coinciding with
Migration System
demand data, based on data from California
riod in the afternoon/early evening. Independent System Operator, ASHRAE RP Choosing active and passive
1607. Courtesy: Trane Technologies fire protection systems
Baseline hourly cooling load profile for this
facility without storage is common. A typical design approach in line with current pre- Applications
scriptive requirements of ASHRAE 90.1 would look to optimize the chilled water plant
efficiency to coincide with this load profile. It would look at envelope improvements, with modern office
chiller efficiency/sizing, cooling tower optimization and pumping. In this new frame-
work that includes a time of use rate schedule, we can now also consider the impact
of shifting the peak cooling load to an off-peak period to realize annual energy cost
savings.
While an energy model would typically be used to analyze savings from this load shift,
22
we will keep our analysis in a “full load hours” framework to simplify a discussion that What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
demonstrates the benefits. We first size the chilled water storage tank to reduce the
peak load by about half to 500 tons for all hours during the demand window. This now SENS MicroGenius 2
establishes three operational periods shown in Figure 5: charging, follow load and Overview
discharge. For this load profile and storage goal, we realize the need to shift about
Energy storage: A
3,000-ton-hours from the peak to the off-peak period.
component of energy
conservation
At 100 gallons of chilled water storage per ton hour of load (14°F delta T), this gives
us a 300,000-gallon tank. If we then assume a 10-hour charging period, we need to Power Switchmode Battery
produce 300 tons of chilled water during each hour of the charging period. This stored Charger Design
chilled water would then discharge about 3,000-ton-hours of chilled water load at a Transformer protection is
rate to keep the peak kilowatt as low as possible during the on-peak period (~500 tons essential for reliable power
in this case).
Migration System
With these new load profiles established, we convert the plant from cooling tonnage
to kilowatt by assuming a 0.8 kilowatt/ton chilled water plant (chiller, primary pumps, fire protection systems
cooling tower and condenser water pumps) efficiency to establish the electrical load
profile for each scenario. For simplicity, we assume this same efficiency for the entire Applications
24-hour period.
with modern office
The savings in energy consumption occur each day, five days per week, by shifting the
chilled water production to the lower-rate period. The savings in demand come each
month by shifting 358 kilowatts of demand away from the peak demand period each day.
Note that in addition to the peak demand charge reduction, the “all hours” demand
charge reduction coincides with the peak demand. While it is a lower rate than the de-
mand charge, this example did realize a monthly savings of $1,023 from this reduction
23
as well. The sizing and What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
timing of the storage
does require careful SENS MicroGenius 2
balancing to keep Overview
demand relatively flat
Energy storage: A
and not spike in the
component of energy
off-peak period and conservation
take away from the
overall savings. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
If we assume this daily Transformer protection is
and monthly savings essential for reliable power
equally across the four-
month summer period of this example, high-level Figure 5: This shows the three operational
Migration System
periods of thermal storage scenario. It’s an
analysis shows about $30,412 savings in energy example of an hourly chilled water plant load Choosing active and passive
costs per year using thermal energy storage. profile without storage (baseline) and with fire protection systems
There would also be savings available for the storage. Courtesy: IMEG Corp.
other eight months of the year, but we limited Applications
this example to summer only. In an integrated design scenario, this annual savings would
be coupled with first-cost savings in other areas being served by the chilled water tank. with modern office
Energy storage projects often reduce installed cooling plant capacity since part of
the load is being served by the tank. If 300 tons could be removed in our example at
$2,500 per ton, this would realize a first cost reduction of $750,000 to help fund the
install of the tank. For projects with backup generator required, chilled water storage
often allows a reduction in generator size, providing additional first-cost benefit.
24
This example demonstrates an approach to energy cost savings using the ASHRAE What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
90.1 adopted TOU rate. TOU rates vary across the country; some regions have higher
demand charges for a shorter time window that would realize much higher savings. SENS MicroGenius 2
The goal is to shift the load from a more critical five-hour window (4 to 9 p.m.) when Overview
the load is increasing and solar PV generation is declining. In this scenario, the facility
Energy storage: A
could shift that load to the night period as shown in the ASHRAE TOU example or shift
component of energy
it to the period when excess solar PV energy is available. conservation
That decision could be made on a cost basis if rates are lower during a period of ex- Power Switchmode Battery
cess solar PV. It could also be made on a carbon basis if the grid mix during the day Charger Design
with excess solar PV has lower carbon content than the grid mix at night when no solar Transformer protection is
PV is available. essential for reliable power

Classifications of storage systems Migration System
ASHRAE 90.1 energy storage working group is focused on short-term storage types 2 Choosing active and passive
and 4. The three goals of a good short-term storage system are: fire protection systems

• Maximize use of renewable energy sources. Applications

• Match load to production such that the net demand curve shown in Figure 3 is with modern office
flattened.
• Minimize conversion losses (also known as round-trip losses).
This will result in the lowest total energy cost by reducing the need for high-cost and
less environmentally friendly energy production methods to satisfy peak loads.
25
The ability of energy storage systems to meet these goals depends upon several fac- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
tors including selection and application. For example: a compressed air system, due to
the complexity of the plant, is likely to be applied at the utility or grid. Batteries can be SENS MicroGenius 2
effectively applied to a building with on-site electrical power generation if the power Overview
cannot be consumed immediately.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
According to a 2019 article, “Lithium-Ion Battery Prices are Declining, Powering conservation
Growth and Opportunity in the U.S. Energy Storage Market,” the cost of batteries
dropped by 73% from 2013 to 2018. If this trend continues, batteries will be effective Power Switchmode Battery
tools for energy storage in many applications. Water and ice storage can be applied to Charger Design
many chilled water systems, providing redundancy as well as storage benefits. ASHRAE Transformer protection is
published the second edition of the Updating Cool Thermal Storage Techniques in essential for reliable power
2019 and Guideline 21: Guide for the Ventilation and Thermal Management of Batter-
ies for Stationary Applications in 2018 to help practitioners evaluate and apply these Migration System
systems.
Energy storage Extended Reach Fiber
The purpose statement for ASHRAE 90.1 is: To establish the minimum energy efficiency Applications
requirements of buildings other than low-rise residential buildings for: Data center facility meshes
with modern office
• Design, construction and a plan for operation and maintenance.
• Use of on-site, renewable energy
To further this purpose the standards committee established an energy storage work-
ing group to investigate where storage should be part of the total energy savings solu-
26
tion in the code. Some What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
issues under investiga-
tion include: SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
• Establish round-trip
Energy storage: A
efficiency require-
component of energy
ments for storage conservation
equipment.
• Establish storage Charger Design
requirements related Transformer protection is
to on-site renewable essential for reliable power
energy production to
ensure that the ener- Migration System
gy produced is used on-site. Figure 6: This outlines the kilowatt-hour and
kilowatt load shift under this scenario for a Choosing active and passive
typical day, including new demand profile and fire protection systems
• Establish requirements to use energy stor- peak demand reduction. Courtesy: IMEG Corp.
age systems that save energy and/or energy Applications
cost.
with modern office
Building standards such as ASHRAE 90.1 have a role to play to encourage use of re-
newable energy. Establishing requirements for energy storage supports the original
intent of the standard and can lead to a more environmentally friendly electrical grid.
ASHRAE 90.1: Reducing energy use for 45 years

ASHRAE 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
27
was created in response to the 1970s global energy crisis with the goal to reduce de- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
pendence on international supply for energy. Over the intervening years, society has
benefited from a building energy standard that reduced energy usage by more than SENS MicroGenius 2
50% from the minimum requirements established in 1975 to the most recent require- Overview
ments in 2019. In the intervening years, it has also become clear that energy conser-
Energy storage: A
vation produced a positive impact on the environment through reduction in demand
component of energy
for power plants and reduced consumption of fossil fuels. The positive environmental conservation
impact of conservation is just as critical to society as the original purpose of achieving
economic resiliency that birthed the standard. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
Adam McMillen and Sean A. Smith Transformer protection is
Adam McMillen is director of sustainability at IMEG Corp. Sean A. Smith is chief engi- essential for reliable power
neer for Trane Technologies.
Migration System


Applications

with modern office
28
A New Approach Abstract
Operating at high frequency, switchmode power con-
To High Power
version outperforms line frequency (50 or 60 Hz) power
conversion topologies such as SCR and controlled fer-
roresonant in nearly every way. Switchmode technology
Switchmode delivers advantages in dynamic response, smoothness of

DC output, size, weight, noise, energy efficiency, cost, and
Battery Charger
standards compliance. Switchmode converters are typical-
ly modular and hot-swappable, meaning that field repair
can be performed faster and by less skilled staff than is
Design required to repair legacy line frequency chargers. Despite

these advantages, there is continued hesitance by some
users, including at electric utilities and some industrial cus-
tomers, to adopt switchmode technology battery chargers.
This paper attempts to identify the causes for this hesi-

tance. A new approach to the electrical, mechanical and
thermal design of switchmode power converters suggests
that the issues identified can be addressed. A ruggedized
switchmode battery charger design suited for use in chal-
lenging environments is presented.
Introduction
William Kaewert & Sam Coleman Switchmode power conversion technology dominates nearly
every segment of the economy, including demanding aero-
Stored Energy Systems LLC
space and military power systems that impose requirements
Longmont, Colorado
A New Approach To High Power Switchmode Battery Charger Design
more demanding than those imposed by power utilities or industry. Switchmode con- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
verters are, for example, successfully hardened against the effects of frequent lightning
strikes on aircraft, against the effects of nuclear electromagnetic pulse in warfighting SENS MicroGenius 2
applications, and against the effects of severe vibration and ionizing radiation in launch Overview
vehicles and spacecraft. Success in these applications demonstrates two things: first,
Energy storage: A
there is no fundamental impediment to employing switchmode technology in any appli- component of energy
cation; second, that application success depends on the ability of the manufacturer to conservation
understand, document, design, and manufacture the product to survive the environmen-
A New Approach
tal and performance requirements of the customer’s application. To High Power
Switchmode Battery
In industrial and power utility applications the reasons for the slow pace of adoption of Charger Design
switchmode chargers seem to include: Transformer protection is
• Incompatibility of most switchmode chargers with 480-volt 3-phase AC supplies Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
• Failure in many cases to sufficiently harden switchmode chargers against AC-borne Choosing active and passive
overvoltage stresses fire protection systems

• Real and perceived problems related to forced, versus convection, cooling Applications

Industrial and power utility facilities often drive large battery chargers with 480 volt, with modern office
3-phase electrical service. Most switchmode battery chargers, however, are designed
to operate from single phase, 208-240 VAC supplies. Some switchmode chargers are
rated for AC input up to 320 volts, potentially enabling them to be employed in a
277/480-volt system by connecting phase to neutral. Switchmode chargers are now be-
coming available with 480 VAC input that does not require the neutral conductor, and
which are compatible with all common 3-phase Delta grounding schemes. 30
Switchmode converters are inherently more vulnerable to mains-borne electrical tran- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
sients than line frequency converters. This is because power semiconductors in switch-
mode converters are located upstream of the converter’s power transformer, versus SENS MicroGenius 2
downstream of the transformer in most line frequency designs. This vulnerability can Overview
be addressed in switchmode converters by employing the same strategy as that used
Energy storage: A
in aerospace and military systems: multiple layers of defense. component of energy
conservation
Forced air cooling boosts packaging density and cuts weight and cost in electronic de-
A New Approach
vices. Even with a conversion efficiency of 95% a 7 KW power converter creates 368 watts To High Power
of waste heat that must be transported from internal components to the environment. Switchmode Battery
Because fans typically fail before power electronics, fans are perceived as an Achilles Charger Design
Heel of power converters. The solution employed for years in nearly all higher power Transformer protection is
UPS and power supplies is to provide redundant fans equipped with failure alarms. essential for reliable power

Conventional fan cooling is effective at transferring heat out of densely packaged elec- Migration System
tronics. The unintended consequence of moving lots of air, however, is the deposition Choosing active and passive
of airborne contaminants onto electronic components and circuit card traces. These fire protection systems
contaminants contribute to premature electronics failure. A new method of cooling is Extended Reach Fiber
presented that reduces the vulnerability of force-cooled electronics to premature fail- Applications
ure from atmospheric contamination. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
How does switchmode differ from line frequency power
conversion technology?
The most popular line frequency (50 or 60 Hz) power conversion technology is silicon
controlled rectifier (SCR). SCR type chargers regulate the amount of power transferred
from the AC source to the DC output by varying the time the SCR bridge conducts
31
power. The longer during each cycle the SCR bridge is turned on, the more power is What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
transferred. The frequency at which this duty cycle operates is governed by the fre-
quency of the AC power source to which the charger is connected. It is either 50 Hz or SENS MicroGenius 2
60 Hz. Overview
Energy storage: A
The size and weight of the charger’s isolation transformer is determined by the fre- component of energy
quency of the AC supply. There is a roughly linear relationship between the size and conservation
weight of a transformer and its operating frequency. This property enables the use of
A New Approach
less iron in the transformer core and fewer wire turns as transformer operating frequen- To High Power
cy is increased. Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
Switchmode converters exploit this principle by increasing the frequency at which all Transformer protection is
magnetic devices in the converter operate. Transformers and inductors in switchmode essential for reliable power
chargers are vastly smaller and lighter than comparable magnetic components in SCR Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
chargers because the switchmode converter operates at frequencies several hundred Migration System
times higher than the SCR charger. Choosing active and passive
Incompatibility with 480-volt 3-phase AC supplies Extended Reach Fiber
Most “industrial” (120 & 240-volt DC nominal) switchmode chargers are derived from Applications
48-volt DC telecom type rectifiers that are built in high volume. These chargers can be Data center facility meshes
inexpensive and perform well, provided they are installed in protected environments with modern office
and supplied with single phase 208 or 240-volt AC. Some single phase switchmode
chargers are rated for AC input up to 320 volts, meaning that they potentially could be
operated on a 277/480-volt system by employing the neutral. In North America, howev-
er, the neutral conductor is only infrequently provided in 480-volt 3-phase systems.
32
Most industrial facilities employ 480 VAC, typically without neutral, to supply larger What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
loads such as high-powered battery chargers. Some three-phase grounding schemes,
such as corner grounding, increase line to chassis voltage stresses on the 480-volt load SENS MicroGenius 2
and require additional insulation between line and chassis. This in turn requires com- Overview
ponents, including breakers, to be rated for corner grounding. Powering switchmode
Energy storage: A
chargers not natively rated for 480-volt operation from a 480-volt source without neu- component of energy
tral requires use of a heavy and costly stepdown transformer ahead of the chargers. conservation
Including a 60 Hz stepdown transformer negates much of the weight, size, and efficien-
A New Approach
cy advantages of switchmode technology. To High Power
Switchmode Battery
Advances in power semiconductor technology and cost now enable design of switch- Charger Design
mode chargers that operate at high voltages. Careful exploitation of these devices Transformer protection is
allows conversion of 480 volt 3-phase AC to DC exceeding 500 volts or more at effi- essential for reliable power
ciencies of 95% and better. Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
Problems related to fan-forced cooling Choosing active and passive
IEEE 1613 has sometimes been cited as justification for prohibiting cooling fans in fire protection systems
power electronics employed at power generation sites and in substations. This stan- Extended Reach Fiber
dard simply states that, “Devices meeting this standard shall be convection cooled and Applications
shall not include internal fans or any other means of forced air circulation.” Data center facility meshes
with modern office
There are two reasons this argument fails for battery chargers:
1. IEEE 1613 is a standard related to environmental and testing requirements for

communications networking devices in electric power substations. It is not a bat-
tery charger or power electronics standard. Power utility battery charger standard
NEMA PE-5 specifically provides for fan cooling of battery chargers.
33
2. Three of the four most popular utility charger brands employing SCR power con- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
version, all of which are installed in both substation and power plant environ-
ments, rely on forced cooling in their higher-powered models. Moreover, all three SENS MicroGenius 2
of the most commonly used brands of industrial (not computer room) UPS in pow- Overview
er plants employ forced cooling. If end users were reluctant to rely on cooling fans
Energy storage: A
this prevalence of forced cooling would not exist. component of energy
conservation
Rather than discount the IEEE 1613 prohibition of forced cooling out of hand, we
A New Approach
should seek to understand the underlying issues. Solving real and perceived problems To High Power
might enable many more users to enjoy the significant benefits in size, weight, cost Switchmode Battery
and packaging that forced cooling enables. Charger Design
Fan reliability essential for reliable power
The first problem with forced cooling is the fan itself. Parts count reliability predic- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
tions (e.g. Mil-Std; Bellcore) show that fan failure rates significantly exceed those of Migration System
electronic components. This also passes the reasonableness test because the fan Choosing active and passive
is the only continuously moving part in most electronic products and therefore has fire protection systems
a well-known wear-out mechanism. A charger shuts down when its cooling fan fails Extended Reach Fiber
either because of component failure from thermal overstress, or because the charger Applications
contains protection against thermal overstress that automatically reduces its output Data center facility meshes
power limit to a very low value. Both outcomes are unacceptable in mission-critical with modern office
applications.
The importance of air filtration to fan reliability must be emphasized. A failure mode
and effect analysis (FMEA) for commercial PC cooling fans documents that, “dust is the
main cause of the cooling fan failure. This leads to overheating and eventually to loss
34
of the system because of air flow reduction. This cause is due to the fact that the users What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
don’t perform proper and timely maintenance.”1
SENS MicroGenius 2
1
A Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) for a Commercial PC Cooling Fan; Cretu et. al; Acta
Overview
Electrotechnica, Volume 56, Number 5, 2015
Energy storage: A
component of energy
Although high-pow- conservation
ered SCR or switch-
A New Approach
mode power con-
To High Power
verters are not PCs, Switchmode Battery
the technology Charger Design
of fans, including
housing, fan blade, essential for reliable power
motor, bearing
system (including Migration System
magnetic bearings),
PWM drive and wire harness, is more similar than different. Figure 4: Leading causes of fan fire protection systems
Airborne dirt is a problem for all fan cooled systems. failure in computers
Applications
Fan-forced deposition of atmospheric contaminants onto Data center facility meshes
internal circuitry with modern office
Cooling fans force large quantities of dust, dirt and other airborne matter into the de-
vice being cooled. In heavier industrial and outdoor environments, the contamination
problem is much worse because these atmospheres can contain corrosives, conductive
dirt and salt fog. These contaminants can accumulate quickly on circuit boards and
on electronic components, creating two types of failures. Contamination on printed
35
circuits can cause short circuits What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
between adjacent traces and
components, causing both SENS MicroGenius 2
intermittent and catastrophic Overview
failures. Contamination that ac-
Energy storage: A
cumulates on and around com- component of energy
ponents increases component conservation
temperatures by adding a layer
A New Approach
of insulating dirt. The resulting To High Power
temperature increase shortens Switchmode Battery
useful life of components. Charger Design
Figures 5 and 6 show two power essential for reliable power
converters co-located with each other, a VRLA battery Figure 5: Minor dirt accumulation
inside convection cooled SCR charger
and an air compressor in a light industrial facility locat- Migration System
after 13 years
ed in a dry climate. The first photo is of a convection Choosing active and passive
cooled SCR type charger in service for 13 years. Note that only minor accumulation of fire protection systems
dirt is evident. Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
Figure 6 shows the inside of a fan-cooled modular inverter module, taken after about Data center facility meshes
five years of continuous operation. Note the thick dirt buildup of dirt in some areas with modern office
completely blankets electronic components. The difference in both the amount and
rate of dirt accumulation is significant: 13 years for the convection cooled charger, ver-
sus five years for the inverter. If the fan-cooled inverter had been in a humid or coastal
climate it probably would have failed from dirt-related effects by five years.
36

Summary of require- 72-2022
ments for reducing the
SENS MicroGenius 2
risk of forced cooling Product & Technology
system failure Overview
Improving cooling system per- Energy storage: A

formance requires that multiple component of energy
conservation
issues be addressed: reliability
of fans; reducing dirt ingress; A New Approach
alerting users to problems; im- To High Power
Switchmode Battery
proving serviceability; ensuring
Charger Design
user safety; and making the system reasonably resilient Figure 6: Significant dirt accumulation
against user abuse. The following are performance re- inside fan cooled inverter after 5 years
quirements for a more robust forced cooling system:
Migration System
1. Filtration of cooling air is important both to improving fan life and reducing con-
taminant buildup in the device being cooled. Choosing active and passive
2. Filter properties: The air filter needs to be effective, inexpensive, reusable, offer rea- Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
sonably long cleaning intervals, and be easy and safe for non-technical staff to clean.
with modern office
3. N+1 fans are necessary so that that cooling performance is maintained should
one fan fail.
4. Fan properties: high quality, rated for high temperature, employing a premi-
um bearing system, and driven at variable speed, so that fans normally turn at
life-prolonging slow speed. 37
5. A user-friendly alarm system What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
is necessary to alert users to the
need for filter cleaning, to warn SENS MicroGenius 2
of impending fan failure, and to Overview
alert when a fan has failed.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
6. The fan assembly should be conservation
easy and safe to replace when
A New Approach
needed, even in power convert- To High Power
ers that are modular, so that Switchmode Battery
fan failure does not require the Charger Design
converter to be replaced. Transformer protection is
7. The design of the system Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
must be resilient against the failure of users to Figure 7: High-power battery charger Migration System
with multiple rectifier modules
reinstall filters. Core electronics need to remain Choosing active and passive
protected against atmospheric contamination fire protection systems
even when users neglect to reinstall the air filter. Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
Practical solutions to meeting the forced cooling system Data center facility meshes
requirements with modern office
Figure 7 shows a 56 KW battery charger comprises eight 7 KW rectifiers. In the configu-
ration shown, cooling air flow is from front to back.
Figure 8 below is a front view of one rectifier module (either 140VDC, 50A or 280VDC,
25A) with washable foam air filter and filter retainer removed. Cleaning this filter is no
38
more difficult than wash- What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
ing the foam air filter
found on most small SENS MicroGenius 2
combustion engines. Overview
The only requirement is
Energy storage: A
tap water. The filter can component of energy
safely be removed while conservation
the charger is energized
A New Approach
without the user risking To High Power
contact with live electri- Switchmode Battery
Figure 8: Front view of rectifier, filter,
cal or rotating components. retainer and dead metal
Charger Design
Figure 9 below shows air exhaust and the fan module. The fan module can be replaced essential for reliable power
once a hot-swap rectifier is removed from the charger cabinet. Four screws are re- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
moved and a small connec- Migration System
tor is unplugged. Removal Choosing active and passive
of the fan module does fire protection systems
not expose the user to Extended Reach Fiber
energized electrical com- Applications
ponents inside the rectifier Data center facility meshes
module. with modern office
The alarm system includes

solid-state sensors to
detect problems with the
cooling system, including
39
Figure 9: Rear view of rectifier with fan
subassembly

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation
fan tachometers, ammeter and barometric pressure Figure 10: Side view of air flow A New Approach
sensors. Indication of cooling system problem is in-
isolated from electronic components. To High Power
Color indicates relative velocity
Switchmode Battery
tegrated with other system alarms and presented
Charger Design
in plain language on the charger status display, via alarm contacts and via network
interface.

Figure 10 is a side view of the rectifier module in which power electronics are housed
Migration System
inside of two completely sealed boxes, between which a heat exchanger is located.
The box on the bottom side of the heat exchanger contains the charger’s three-phase Choosing active and passive
AC boost converter, while the charger’s DC-DC converter is in the box on the top side
of the heat exchanger. Heat is transferred via conduction from warm components on Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
each of the two circuit cards into the aluminum heat exchanger. Front to back air flow
driven by fans transfers heat from the heat exchanger into the environment. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Enclosing power electronics in sealed boxes enables several simultaneous benefits:
• High power density is enabled by forced cooling, but without risk of atmospheric
contamination of circuit boards and components. This eliminates the problem of
premature dirt-induced failures that exist in other forced-cooled power converters. 40
This design protects circuit cards from dirt even when users neglect to reinstall the What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
air filter.
SENS MicroGenius 2
• Enclosing power electronics inside Faraday cages provides excellent inherent im- Overview
munity to external radio frequency (RF) fields. The only pathway for ingress of RF
Energy storage: A
is via conduction on input, output and signal connections, protection of which is component of energy
discussed earlier. conservation
A New Approach
• Converter RF emissions that are inherent to all power converters are contained To High Power
within the Faraday cages such that despite its high power rating the RF emissions Switchmode Battery
from this design are low. Charger Design
Summary essential for reliable power
Most switchmode battery chargers for industrial and power utility use have been con- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
verted directly from 48-volt telecom power products. A small number of switchmode Migration System
chargers have improved upon these telecom designs by employing multiple fans and Choosing active and passive
by complying with power utility electrical transient standards. Few existing switchmode fire protection systems
chargers operate from 480-volt, 3-phase, 3-wire AC. Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
A clean-sheet approach to power conversion for battery charging in challenging envi- Data center facility meshes
ronments is presented. Central to the design requirements for this new approach are with modern office
employing 480-volt AC input without requirement for neutral, surviving the electrical
and atmospheric contamination environments of industrial and power utility sites, and
improving resilience of forced cooling systems.
41
Transformer protection is essential
for reliable power What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Transformer protection is vital to ensure that one of the most expensive and Product & Technology
important pieces of equipment in a power system can stay in service Overview
Energy storage: A
U nderstanding the stresses and faults that can damage a transformer and how to
protect against them is an important design consideration for electrical engineers.
Without proper protection, one of the most important components of an electrical sys-
component of energy
conservation

tem, often a single point of failure, can be left vulnerable to damage. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
The use of the word “transformer” refers to electromechanical power transformers, ex- Transformer protection
cept where potential transformers or current transformers are directly discussed. Auto- is essential for reliable
transformers or emerging transformer technologies, such as solid-state inverter-based
power
transformers, present their own unique opportunities and challenges and as such, are Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
not discussed here.
Standards and codes
All electrical designs and construction must adhere to applicable standards and codes. Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
The following standards and codes relate to transformer protection requirements and
industry standard recommendations. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
• IEEE Standard C37.91-2008: IEEE Guide for Protecting Power Transformers.
• IEEE Standard C37.95-2014: IEEE Guide for Protective Relaying of Utility-Consumer

Interconnections.
42
Transformer protection is essential for reliable power
• IEEE Standard 242-200: IEEE Recommended Practice for Protection and Coordina- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
tion of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems, Chapter 11: Transformer Protec-
tion (Buff Book). SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
• NFPA 70: National Electrical Code, Article 450, transformers and transformer vaults.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
• Maximum overcurrent protection requirements (more than 1,000 volts): NEC Table conservation
450.3(A). A New Approach To High
• Maximum overcurrent protection requirements (less than 1,000 volts): NEC Table Charger Design
450.3(B). Transformer protection

is essential for reliable
While still a valuable resource, IEEE 242 was last published in 2001 and since then, power
relay technologies — especially concerning differential protection schemes — have ad- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
vanced greatly. IEEE has been updating and reorganizing the various color books into Migration System
the 3000 series of standards with a standard related to transformer protection planned Choosing active and passive
as IEEE 3004.9.However, the project authorization request for that standard was with- fire protection systems
drawn in 2017 and it is not known if there are current plans to reinitialize the project. Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
Transformers Data center facility meshes
The purpose of a transformer is to step up or down the voltage of an alternating cur- with modern office
rent. In doing so, the current will decrease or increase inversely proportional to the
voltage change. This capability allows for a more complex and efficient system. For
instance, the electricity generated by a power plant can be transported at high voltag-
es, low currents and once at a load, stepped down to a lower voltage. This strategy is
more efficient because larger currents are more lossy over long distances.
43
A transformer changes voltage and What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
current through magnetic inductance.
Magnetic inductance passes through SENS MicroGenius 2
a medium to transfer electrical power. Overview
The medium of choice is an iron core, as
Energy storage: A
iron has ideal magnetic characteristics component of energy
for concentrating a magnetic field. To conservation
generate magnetic fields, primary and A New Approach To High
secondary coils are wrapped around their Power Switchmode Battery
respective iron cores. These coils are Charger Design
typically made using copper or aluminum Transformer protection

because they have good conductivity. is essential for reliable
power
Transforming power through magnet- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
ic inductance is efficient, but there are Migration System
still some losses, usually between 1% Choosing active and passive
and 2%. These electrical losses primarily fire protection systems
appear in the form of heat. To prevent Extended Reach Fiber
Figure 1: This time current
the heat from becoming an issue, transformers have several curve demonstrates Applications
types of cooling systems, such a soil-filled transformers and important transformer
protection parameters.
fan cooled transformers. with modern office
Courtesy: CDM Smith
However, there are cases in which the heat can become too much for the transformers’
cooling system, slowly or quickly damaging the transformer. This can happen due to
several reasons, including a lightning strike falling close to a transformer and causing
a voltage surge or an overload of demand power forcing the transformer beyond its
rated kilovolt amperes. 44
These will cause excessive heating, which will cause premature deterioration of equip- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
ment insulation. This deterioration is within the transformer and not easily identifiable.
As the transformer deteriorates further, it will become more vulnerable to short circuit SENS MicroGenius 2
conditions. An uninterrupted short circuit can cause permanent irreparable damage to Overview
the transformer and potentially result in severe injury or loss of life. For these reasons,
Energy storage: A
it is important to implement protection strategies when designing an electrical system component of energy
with a transformer. conservation

Overcurrent protection Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
Overcurrent protection is needed to protect the transformer windings from short cir-
cuits and overloads. Overcurrent protection works differently based on the type of Transformer protection
overcurrent protection device used. The two main types of transformer OCPDs are is essential for reliable
circuit breakers and fuses. power
When using a circuit breaker, the fault is first detected within the device using the heat Migration System
or magnetism created by the electric current. For larger currents or voltages, protec- Choosing active and passive
tive relays are used to sense a fault and operate the circuit breaker. Once a fault is fire protection systems
detected, the circuit breaker will open the contacts to interrupt the circuit, based on its Extended Reach Fiber
time-current curve, which is dependent on the settings of the breaker chosen. Circuit Applications
breaker contacts can be opened using a spring, compressed air, thermal expansion or Data center facility meshes
a magnetic field. with modern office
The benefit of using a circuit breaker is the ability to reuse the device after it is tripped
simply by reclosing the contacts. A disadvantage comes from the process of opening
contacts. At high voltages or currents, an arc is created when interrupting the circuit.
45
The process of interrupting a fault with a fuse is different from that of a circuit breaker What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
and simpler in function. The function of a fuse is to melt when too much current passes
through it, thereby opening the circuit and interrupting the flow of current. The pro- SENS MicroGenius 2
cess can be fast and efficient, however, once the fuse melts down and stops the current Overview
flow, it is destroyed and must be replaced. The advantage of using fuses comes from
Energy storage: A
how quickly they work, removing high fault currents before they can become a problem component of energy
and preventing the creation of arcing currents when clearing a fault. conservation

The NEC requirements for these OCPDs for transformers can be found in Article 450.3, Power Switchmode Battery
wherein specific guidelines are given for the maximum ratings and settings of OCPDs Charger Design
for transformers of different ratings. These are broken down into two tables: Table Transformer protection
450.3(A), for transformers greater than 1,000 volts and Table 450.3(B) for transformers is essential for reliable
at 1,000 volts and less. power
In Table 450.3(A), there is a primary protection column and secondary protection col- Migration System
umn. The determining factor for the primary protection is: Choosing active and passive
• What OCPD is being used (fuse or circuit breaker). Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
• The impedance of the transformer. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
• Whether the transformer is in a supervised location.
For secondary protection, the same parameters apply, except the section is split be-
tween “more than 1,000 volts” and “1,000 volts or less.” In NEC Table 450.3(B), there is
also a primary protection and secondary protection column, but the determining fac-
46
tors are the currents and whether both primary and secondary protection are needed. What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
The determining currents are “currents of 9 amperes or more,” “currents less than 9
amperes,” and “currents less than 2 amperes. SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
An additional NEC requirement for secondary protection is that no more than six cir-
Energy storage: A
cuit breakers or sets of fuses shall be connected to a transformer in parallel. The total component of energy
device ratings of these circuit breakers and/or fuses cannot exceed the allowed value conservation
of a single overcurrent device. A New Approach To High
Another aspect of overcurrent protection to consider when designing a system is time Charger Design
current curves. When putting OCPDs on the transformer secondary and primary sides, Transformer protection
the tripping parameters must be set for each device. For instance, if a fuse is on the is essential for reliable
secondary and a circuit breaker is on the primary, it may be ideal to trip the circuit power
breaker to prevent the fuse from blowing even though these protective devices are Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
in-series and not required to be coordinated; however, if there are multiple secondary Migration System
protective devices, it may not be ideal to trip a circuit breaker for a single line fault. Choosing active and passive
Sometimes the best solution can be a compromise in which the circuit breaker will Extended Reach Fiber
open and reclose when a fault occurs, giving the fault a chance to resolve itself before Applications
blowing the fuse of that line. See Figure 1 for a TCC demonstrating important trans- Data center facility meshes
former protection parameters. with modern office
The secondary and primary OCPDs are not the only ones to consider. All OCPDs down-
stream of the transformer and upstream of the transformer must be considered. A TCC
helps with the design of this process by having the circuit breaker and/or fuse settings
graphed logarithmically. The time, in seconds, represents the Y-axis and the current, in
47
amperes, represents the X-ax- What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
is. From this, an engineer can
visualize the tripping times for SENS MicroGenius 2
each device and adjust them to Overview
create a desired TCC.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
Other methods of conservation
transformer protection A New Approach To High
Multiple alternate or supple- Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
mental forms of protections
beyond overcurrent protection Transformer protection
are available for transformers, is essential for reliable
power
though these are generally lim-
ited to more expensive or more Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
critical transformers. The fol-
lowing methods of protection, Choosing active and passive
especially differential protec-
tion, may provide more rapid protection without sacrificing Figure 2: The left side shows a Extended Reach Fiber
traditional electromechanical Applications
system security or impacting the selective coordination of
differential relay wiring and
the system’s overcurrent protection devices. While differ- the right shows a modern/ Data center facility meshes
microprocessor relay wiring. with modern office
ential protection and temperature-based protection can be
Courtesy: CDM Smith
applied to both dry- and liquid-type transformers, gas- and
pressure-based protection methods are restricted to liq-
uid-type transformers only.
Differential protection — At its most simple, differential protection is the comparison

48
of two or more currents from CTs installed around a given piece of equipment. If the What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
currents entering the zone of protection established by the CTs doesn’t equal the cur-
rents leaving that zone of protection, it likely indicates an internal fault and the differ- SENS MicroGenius 2
ential relay will operate. While differential protection for buses may be straightforward, Overview
differential protection for transformers requires substantially more consideration due
Energy storage: A
to phase shifting, difference in current magnitudes between the primary and second, component of energy
transformer inrush and other parameters. conservation

Traditionally, such challenges would be overcome by selecting the ratios of the primary Power Switchmode Battery
and secondary CTs such that the current magnitudes matched, wiring the CTs on a del- Charger Design
ta winding in wye and on a wye winding in delta, incorporating auxiliary CTs, harmonic Transformer protection
restraint relays or other methods. An example of such a setup is shown in Figure 2(a). is essential for reliable
power
Modern microprocessor-based transformer differential relays consider many of these Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
challenges and handle them internally. Instead of calculating the perfect CT ratios to Migration System
match the primary and secondary currents, simply input the CT ratios and transformer Choosing active and passive
primary and secondary voltages into the relay. Instead of ensuring one set of CTs is fire protection systems
wired in delta and another in wye, simply input the transformer winding characteristics. Extended Reach Fiber
An example of such a setup is shown in Figure 2(b). Applications

While in an idealized system, a differential protection scheme could be set to trip for with modern office
any difference in current, a real–world scheme must contend with common occurrences
that cause the primary and secondary currents to be proportionally static. Whenever
a transformer is energized, a current spike — commonly referred to as transformer or
magnetic inrush — of primarily reactive current with significant second-harmonic con-
tent occurs flows into the primary side of the transformer to establish the magnetic
fields within the transformer. 49
While this current will vary depending on the transformers magnetic properties when it What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
was last de-energized, it can be upward of 12 times the nominal primary full-load am-
perage of the transformer. Additionally, while the core losses of the transformer remain SENS MicroGenius 2
more or less the same after inrush, the copper losses of the transformer will vary in Overview
proportion to the loading of the transformer, i.e., that there is a greater expected dif-
Energy storage: A
ference in the primary and secondary current at the currents increase. Adding in other component of energy
sources of error such as potential transformers or even unavoidable differences in the conservation
components themselves, one can see that a simple yes/no question of do the currents A New Approach To High
match is not sufficient. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
The most common way to account for these challenges is to use a restraint current and Transformer protection
operation current, often with a slope or curve instead of a direct proportional compar- is essential for reliable
ison of the primary and secondary currents. Though different methods are available, power
operation current is often the vector sum of the measured currents while the restraint Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
current is often the sum of the measured current magnitudes. In such a scheme, during Migration System
an external fault, the operate current will be approaching zero while the restraint current Choosing active and passive
will be twice the nominal. As noted above, transformer inrush current is composed of a fire protection systems
significant portion of second-harmonic content, as such, many differential schemes also Extended Reach Fiber
include second-harmonic restraint or blocking to increase the sensitivity of the relay. Applications

As with all forms of optional protection, the cost versus benefit of installing differential with modern office
protection must be considered. Besides the simple costs of the differential relay current
transformers, wiring and installation costs, engineers must consider the physical space
requirements of six additional current transformers and where they will be mounted, es-
pecially if transformer bushings are not available. For this reason, differential protection
is generally not applied on transformers less than 2 millivolt amperes in size.
50
Nonelectrical/mechanical fault detection systems — When liquid-cooled trans- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
formers experience a fault, gases are released from the liquid, which in turn affects the
pressure of the liquid and other gases within the transformer. While these gases are SENS MicroGenius 2
often analyzed as part of regular electrical testing and maintenance and can yield an Overview
abundance of data based upon the types and percentages of gases released, the pres-
Energy storage: A
ence of gases or changes in pressure can also be used for more immediate protection. component of energy
conservation
How the gases or pressure may be detected vary depending on the physical construc- A New Approach To High
tion of the transformer, i.e., whether it is a sealed main tank or a main tank with a con- Power Switchmode Battery
servator. The physical construction of a transformer may often decide the type of pres- Charger Design
sure- or gas-based protection that can be used as well as where the relays or sensors Transformer protection
are located. is essential for reliable
power
Gas-and pressure–based protection — The Bucholz relay is probably the most well- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
known form of gas-based protection for transformers, though it is often used as an Migration System
alarm to notify personnel of a potential issue and not to directly trip a transformer’s Choosing active and passive
upstream protection. This type of relay — at its most simple, a float/level switch — is fire protection systems
installed to accumulate all gas rising from a transformer’s main tank into its conservator Extended Reach Fiber
tank. Low–level faults or simple overloading will result in a slow accumulation of gas, Applications
while high–magnitude faults will cause oil to move rapidly through the relay. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Sudden pressure relays are used to sense the rapid change in liquid pressure that may be
caused when an internal fault vaporizes some of the cooling liquid. As the pressure of a
liquid is affected by its temperature, these types of relays are often built with multiple stag-
es that may automatically adjust their sensitivity based on the temperature of the cooling
liquid.
51
In recent years, gas- and pres- What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
sure-based protection for liq-
uid-cooled transformers has SENS MicroGenius 2
evolved beyond mechanical Overview
means and periodic dissolved
Energy storage: A
gas analysis to real-time com- component of energy
puter-based monitoring systems. conservation
These systems constantly analyze A New Approach To High
the gas content within the liquid Power Switchmode Battery
of a transformer, allowing for both Charger Design
rapid and, possibly more impor- Transformer protection

tantly, targeted detection of faults. is essential for reliable
While these systems can be ex- power
pensive, a client may benefit from Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
the reduction in down time from Migration System
both periodic maintenance and Choosing active and passive
fault repair. fire protection systems

Nonelectrical tempera- Applications
ture-based protection — As with Data center facility meshes
almost all electrical components, with modern office
temperature may be used to
detect and identify overloading
or faults internal to a transform-
er. For dry-type transformers,
this may be through resistance
52
temperature detectors installed between the transformer windings and enclosure. What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
For liquid-type transformers, a simple thermometer may be installed. Both dry- and
liquid-cooled transformers may have individual thermal relays. Regardless of the type SENS MicroGenius 2
installed, temperature sensors may be used to alarm and alert staff, enable another Overview
stage of cooling to run or trip the transformer’s primary protection device.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
Deploying protection schemes conservation
This case study presents a generic 13.8 kilovolt-480/277 volt 2.5/3 millivolt amperes oil- A New Approach To High
filled transformer and provides examples of how the 50/51 and 87T protection schemes Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
described may be deployed. For this case study, we will assume the transformer is not in-
stalled in a supervised location. The following characteristics are given for the transformer: Transformer protection
Oil natural/air natural stage: 2.5 millivolt amperes is essential for reliable
power
Oil natural/air fan stage: 3.0 millivolt amperes Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
Primary winding: 13.8 kilovolt delta Choosing active and passive

Secondary winding: 480/277 volt wye Extended Reach Fiber

Applications
Impedance: 5% Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Inrush current: 12 x full-load amperage, 0.1 seconds in duration
Primary full–load amperage: I_(PRI,ONAN)= S_(MVA,ONAN)/(V_LL × √3) =(2.5×10^6

VA)/(13.8 ×10^3 V × √3) =104.6 A
53
Primary full-load amperage, with fans: I_(PRI,ONAF)=S_(MVA,ONAF)/(V_LL × √3) = What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
(3.0×10^6 VA)/(13.8 ×10^3 V × √3) =125.5 A
SENS MicroGenius 2
IPRI,ONAF=SMVA,ONAFVLL × 3–√ = 3.0×106 VA13.8 ×103 V × √3 =125.5 AIPRI,ON- Overview
AF=SMVA,ONAFVLL × 3 = 3.0×106 VA13.8 ×103 V × √3 =125.5 A
Energy storage: A
component of energy
Secondary full-load amperage: I_(SEC,ONAN)=S_(MVA,ONAN)/(V_LL × √3) = conservation
(2.5×10^6 VA)/(480 V × √3) =3007.0 A A New Approach To High
Secondary full-load amperage, with Fans: I_(SEC,ONAF)=S_(MVA,ONAF)/(V_LL × √3) Charger Design
=(3.0×10^6 VA)/(480 V × √3) =3608.4 A Transformer protection

ISEC,ONAF=SMVA,ONAFVLL × 3–√ =3.0×106 VA480 V × √3 =3608.4 AISEC,ON- is essential for reliable
AF=SMVA,ONAFVLL × 3 =3.0×106 VA480 V × √3 =3608.4 A power
Maximum let–through current = I_SC=I_(SEC,ONAN)/(%Z)= (3007.0 A)/0.05 =60140.0 A Migration System

Inrush current = I_INRUSH=I_(PRI,ONAN)×12=104.6A*12=1255.2 A fire protection systems

NEC Table 450.3(A) permits a transformer of less than 6% impedance and primary volt- Applications
age over 1,000 volts to be protected by a circuit breaker rated no more than 600% of the Data center facility meshes
rated current. In this case, 600% of the primary full-load amperage equates to 627.6 am- with modern office
peres. As this value does not correspond to a standard rating or setting, the next higher
standard rating is permitted. It is not required nor necessarily beneficial for the circuit
breaker to be rated as high as possible. While transformers can handle significant over-
loads for short periods of time, such situations will lead to a decrease in the transformer’s
expected life, even if immediate damage does not occur.
54
A 600–ampere rating will be selected because What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
most manufacturer’s medium-voltage circuit
breakers start at this rating; however, the CT SENS MicroGenius 2
ratio will be selected to match the FLA more Overview
closely — in this case, 200:5 should be accept-
Energy storage: A
able. When selecting CTs, engineers should component of energy
consider the fault currents the CT may be ex- conservation
posed to and the burden of the circuit that it A New Approach To High
feeds to confirm the CT will perform within an Power Switchmode Battery
acceptable range of errors. Charger Design
Transformer protection
NEC Table 450.3(A) also provides guidance on is essential for reliable
the secondary protection of the transformer. For power
a transformer with primary voltage 1,000 volts or Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
less, a circuit breaker or fuse is permitted to be Migration System
rated no more than 125% of the rated current. Choosing active and passive
In this case, 125% of the secondary FLA equates fire protection systems
to 3758.8 amperes. As this value does not corre- Extended Reach Fiber
spond to a standard rating or setting, the next Applications
higher standard rating is permitted. For most Data center facility meshes
manufacturers, this would be 4,000 amperes. A with modern office
Figure 3: This shows 50/51
CT ratio of 4,000:5 should be acceptable. overcurrent protection. Courtesy
of CDM Smith
The transformer overload protection (50) is normally set

over the FLA rating of the transformer, generally in the range of 110% to 125% of the
FLA. Higher pickups, provided they do not violate the NEC requirements, may also
55
be acceptable, as transformers What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
may sustain some overload with-
out significant damage. The in- SENS MicroGenius 2
clusion of a second or third stage Overview
of cooling also allows a higher
Energy storage: A
overload pickup current, though component of energy
these may appear in TCCs as not conservation
providing full transformer pro- A New Approach To High
tection. For this example, we will Power Switchmode Battery
assume a pickup of 110% of the Charger Design
second-stage FLA, which equates Transformer protection

to 138.1 amperes on the primary is essential for reliable
and 3969.2 amperes on the sec- power
ondary. Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
The transformer instantaneous Choosing active and passive
protection on the primary should fire protection systems
be set to ensure that it will not pick Extended Reach Fiber
up upon transformer energization, Applications
calculated to be 1,255.2 amperes. Data center facility meshes
A setting of 1,350 amperes should with modern office
Figure 4: In this case, shows
provide adequate buffer for the inrush current and rapid trip- primary and secondary 50/51
ping for arc flash or coordination purposes. The relay curve time current curves are shown.
Courtesy: CDM Smith
and time delay should be adjusted to ensure it is above the
inrush point and that it provides adequate transformer pro-
tection and coordination with other overcurrent protective devices.
56
An instantaneous pickup may not be necessary if the relay curve and time delay are What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
set as described. The differential protection will provide the quickest isolation of the
transformer during arc flash events; if the bus being fed by the transformer has differ- SENS MicroGenius 2
ential protection or other protections/procedures to mitigate the high incident ener- Overview
gy present at the lineside of the main device, eliminating the instantaneous pickup
Energy storage: A
setting of the primary and second overcurrent protection could ease coordination component of energy
with downstream overcurrent protective devices. The protection of the conductors conservation
and downstream electrical equipment should also be considered when selecting pro- A New Approach To High
tective device settings. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
For this example, the conductors are sized greater than the transformer ratings and the Transformer protection
downstream overcurrent equipment selectively coordinates with these settings. is essential for reliable
power
To ensure the CTs used for the more sensitive differential elements do not saturate, the Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
CT ratios for the differential protection scheme are often chosen to be greater than Migration System
that of the main CTs. It is often recommended that these CTs also have an accuracy rat- Choosing active and passive
ing of C200 or higher. For this example, we will assume that it was confirmed through fire protection systems
CT burden calculations that the differential CT ratios could match the main/overcurrent Extended Reach Fiber
CT ratios. We will also assume the differential relay accounts for the delta-wye polarity Applications
shift and the difference in the CT ratios. Different manufacturers implement differential Data center facility meshes
protection schemes in unique ways and the actual relay’s instruction manual should with modern office
always be referenced when determining settings.
Will McGugan, PE, CDM Smith, Raleigh, N.C.; and Joshua Hunter, CDM Smith,
Orlando, Fla.
Will McGugan is an electrical engineer at CDM Smith, focusing in the design and analy-
sis of electrical power systems. Joshua Hunter is an electrical engineer at CDM Smith. 57
Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic Migration System

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation

Charger Design

Opt-X Unity Fiber

Optic Migration
System
Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic Migration System Extended Reach Fiber

Applications
Update your data center to meet new high-speed
applications with the Leviton Opt-X® Unity Fiber Migration with modern office
System — a single, simple connectivity solution that reduces
cost and saves time by reusing the fiber backbone.
58
Choosing active and passive fire
protection systems What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
A combination of active and passive fire protection systems is needed to Product & Technology
address the factor of human behavior in the built environment Overview
Energy storage: A
T o construct and maintain a building that is safe for occupants and properly pro-
tects the building’s commodities, a combination of active and passive fire protec-
tion systems is needed to address the factor of human behavior in the built environ-
component of energy
conservation

ment — it’s not one or the other. The fire protection industry is predominantly defined Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
by sprinklers; however, sprinklers alone cannot produce the level of safety required for
most buildings. Transformer protection is
Instead, architects, engineers, building owners and code officials use a balance of pas- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
sive and active fire protection systems to define what constitutes a building that meets
expectations of the building code to preserve safety of the public and maintain prop- Choosing active and
erty protection. passive fire protection
systems
But what is the level of safety most dependent on? People. The constant maintenance Extended Reach Fiber
of the building’s fire protection systems and whether people actually evacuate the Applications
building when told to do so determines if the life safety systems operate as intended. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Which fire protection option is better?

Passive and active fire protection systems are the means by which buildings throughout
the world and their occupants are protected from accidental fires based on, in varying
degrees, local jurisdiction requirements and the amount of trust that building occu-
pants put into each system. The expectation of safety in modern buildings is very high,
59
Choosing active and passive fire protection systems

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation
and active and passive systems form the foundation for peo- Figure 1: This shows the A New Approach To High
spectrum of passive and Power Switchmode Battery
ple’s trust in the safety of buildings that they occupy. Charger Design
active fire protection
systems and their
From fire barriers to sprinklers, building owners, designers approximate position on
the scale in relation to other
and building occupants often have strong opinions as to
systems. Courtesy: Simpson Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
which types of systems are truly necessary and provide value. Gumpertz & Heger Migration System
On one side is a recognition that buildings and their systems
Choosing active and
age and experience maintenance issues, which can cause systems to degrade or fail.
passive fire protection
systems
On the other side is a sense that building owners and designers are being asked to
include too many systems to ensure occupant safety, creating complexity and resulting Applications
in unnecessary expense. There are varying degrees of understanding how active and
passive systems work and their effectiveness and thus these systems will be defined for
with modern office
the specific use.
Passive fire protection systems

Passive fire protection systems are far less obvious to the untrained eye. Passive systems
do not require a sequenced response to aid in the control of smoke and fire spread;
instead, they are always in place and constantly working to reduce fire spread before a 60
fire event starts and to assist in safe occupant What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
evacuation during a fire event. The impor-
tance of maintaining these passive systems is SENS MicroGenius 2
critical in preventing a fire that starts in one Overview
portion of the building from spreading into
Energy storage: A
adjacent portions of the building. component of energy
conservation
Systems include physical barriers in the A New Approach To High
building, such as firewalls, fire and smoke Power Switchmode Battery
barriers, fire and smoke partitions and even Charger Design
nonrated wall assemblies, all of which help Transformer protection is

to stop or at least slow the spread of heat, essential for reliable power
smoke and toxic gases throughout the Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
building. Passive fire protection systems Migration System
also include fire doors (as well as roll-down Choosing active and
doors and side-hinged swinging doors), passive fire protection
firestopped penetrations and the means of systems
egress system. Providing segregation and physical isolation Figure 2: Insulated domestic
water supply/return pipes
between portions of a building via these passive systems Applications
pass through a fire-resistance
successfully prevents fire spread and aids in occupant safe- rated wall and are properly Data center facility meshes
firestopped. The top of the with modern office
ty and property protection.
wall assembly is also properly
firestopped. Courtesy: Simpson
Fire protection system drawbacks Gumpertz & Heger
With the benefits of both active and passive systems also

comes the issues of properly installing, maintaining and using each of these systems.
For passive systems, it can be difficult to inspect and ensure that there are no issues for
61
instance with a fire barrier. It is hard to confirm that every portion of the barrier remains What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
intact and that there are no underlying weaknesses or connection points to adjacent
horizontal or vertical assemblies, especially when a building remains in use. Maintain- SENS MicroGenius 2
ing fire barriers is a constant battle in places like corridor walls, since this is often the Overview
best location to run a new information technology cable or to create a new penetration
Energy storage: A
for the electrical outlet required in a room adjacent to the corridor. component of energy
conservation
There are certain ways that facilities can help to prevent some of these carelessly A New Approach To High
placed penetrations. Fire barriers and partitions could be marked above a drop ceiling Power Switchmode Battery
or in mechanical equipment rooms to signify the importance of the wall, including the Charger Design
rating to help show the importance of a firestopping system. Other facilities that have Transformer protection is
more regulation may require any contractors doing work to obtain an internal firestop- essential for reliable power
ping permit to better regulate the creation of penetrations. Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
Active systems also have some drawbacks to their usefulness. Building owners and ar- Choosing active and
chitects constantly criticize sprinklers for their cost, difficulty of design installation and passive fire protection
maintenance. Plus, once installed, sprinklers do not provide readily apparent benefits systems
like a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system or electrical system; the benefit Extended Reach Fiber
of sprinklers is apparent only in the rare event that a fire takes place. Applications

However, when it comes to life safety and insurance premiums, providing sprinklers with modern office
throughout a new building is logical. Sprinklers are also required in many building
occupancies based on use or due to the height/area of the building to maintain a safe
building. When sprinklers activate during a fire, it becomes clear that sprinklers are
effective in preventing losses and further damage to the building.
62
Sprinklers are 87% effective What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
overall at preserving the means
of egress for evacuation and SENS MicroGenius 2
protecting property and typical- Overview
ly only one sprinkler needs to
Energy storage: A
activate to control a fire. They component of energy
buy time to allow occupants to conservation
egress before the fire depart- A New Approach To High
ment fully extinguishes the fire. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
Balancing fire protec- Transformer protection is

tion options
Given that passive and active Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Figure 3: Exposed mineral wool at the Migration System
fire protection systems are each categorized by their top of wall assembly is not properly
trade-offs, is there a relationship between how likely firestopped. This is an example of where Choosing active and
the element is to fail and its complexity? Is there a
credit is being provided for a passive fire passive fire protection
protection system that is not properly
systems
design somewhere in the spectrum of passive and ac- installed and may not prevent fire
tive systems that reduces overall failures while provid- spread as intended. Courtesy: Simpson Extended Reach Fiber
Gumpertz & Heger Applications
ing the highest level of safety of the two systems?
with modern office
Figure 1 is a conceptual idea of a passive-active fire protection system. Although there
is certainly some room for discussion, this infographic shows that systems must be
used in conjunction with each other. As the spectrum moves from left to right, systems
that require more moving parts and sensing equipment are inherently more subject to
failure. These are considered active systems as opposed to passive systems.
63
The reliability of a passive system is higher, but What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
is often kept in check by the active systems that
also protect the building. For example, if a fire SENS MicroGenius 2
barrier (passive system) has too many penetra- Overview
tions that are not firestopped and allows the
Energy storage: A
passage of heat and toxic gas from one com- component of energy
partment to another, the sprinkler system (active conservation
system) will activate and is able to contain the A New Approach To High
fire from spreading throughout the building. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
As technology advances, fire protection systems Transformer protection is

are becoming more complex, which means that essential for reliable power
the potential for failures increase until we under- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
stand how the failures affect our system. Howev- Migration System
er, once the failure modes are understood, the Choosing active and
more complex systems become more reliable. Figure 4: An incoming sprinkler passive fire protection
service assembly is shown with visible systems
pressure gauge, identification plate and
For example, a newer style of fire alarm system re- inspection stickers. Courtesy: Simpson Extended Reach Fiber
quires a significant amount of programming. Although Gumpertz & Heger Applications
the system is more complex, perhaps costlier and Data center facility meshes
takes more time to commission, the more often newer systems are installed the more we with modern office
learn about them. This leads to increased reliability over time. Therefore, are we getting
to a place where we may start to rely more on active systems than passive systems?
Fire protection evolves

There is constant evolution in how the construction industry has balanced active and
64
passive fire protection systems in building design. Unfortunate fire events that have What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
caused loss of life and property damage have led to the industry to periodically rethink
how buildings are constructed. This includes how code requirements shall be modi- SENS MicroGenius 2
fied and how passive and active systems being installed in new construction shall be Overview
designed. Different passive and active systems are often explored and/or criticized by
Energy storage: A
certain industries based on the necessity of the systems and the cost impacts during component of energy
construction versus the effectiveness of those systems. conservation

Events such as the Grenfell Tower fire in the United Kingdom have caused the con- Power Switchmode Battery
struction industry to investigate the use of aluminum cladding in high-rise buildings Charger Design
and reconsider whether these materials should be used at all in buildings. Another Transformer protection is
example of materials used in passive systems currently under investigation is wood in essential for reliable power
tall buildings. The fire protection industry is currently doing extensive research on tall Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
wood buildings to determine if using wood beams and columns, as opposed to steel, Migration System
can provide a similar fire-resistance rating and structural support to buildings. Choosing active and
Along with this research, the 2021 edition of the International Building Code will provide systems
three new construction types that will permit wood construction up to 18 stories tall. Al- Extended Reach Fiber
though testing has confirmed that the charring on wood members can provide the same Applications
fire-resistance rating as structural steel columns, some local municipalities are hesitant to Data center facility meshes
approve the design and construction of tall wood buildings within their jurisdiction. with modern office
Specifying sprinkler systems

The use of sprinkler systems has been debated for a long time due to the cost of instal-
lation compared to the success rate of sprinkler systems in providing protection. Issues
with the cost of upkeep and accidental activation of sprinkler systems has led to a bad
65
view of sprinkler systems. This has resulted in build- What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
ing owners and operators hesitant to agree to the
use of such systems. Places like New York City have SENS MicroGenius 2
instituted retroactive sprinkler requirements on Overview
business buildings taller than 100 feet. This has a
Energy storage: A
large cost impact to owners and developers, but component of energy
increases the level of safety for occupants. conservation

However, with significant push back from the real Power Switchmode Battery
estate industry, high-rise residential buildings Charger Design
have not yet been subject to such retroactive Transformer protection is

requirements. Although sprinklers are widely used essential for reliable power
throughout the United States and generally be- Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
lieved to provide a high level of safety along with Migration System
providing significant relief when it comes to build- Choosing active and
Figure 5: A fire alarm manual
ing code requirements, there are countries like Japan, pull station is used to initiate
Poland and Russia where building codes do not put as occupant notification and, in systems
much trust in sprinkler systems and allow other types of some jurisdictions, notify the fire
department or central station. Note
systems to protect occupants. Applications
that this initiating device appears
to be in a crowded location with Data center facility meshes
Systems international such as active smoke control, other building systems. Courtesy: with modern office
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
smoke compartments or exterior exit stairs with four-
hour fire barriers are more likely to be found in these
countries as opposed to sprinkler systems. In these cases, more emphasis is given to
the protection of the means of egress than to require active fire protection systems.
66

Notification systems 72-2022
Fire alarm systems have grown much more comprehensive and efficient in recent years.
SENS MicroGenius 2
Systems are now addressable, which allows building management and the responding Product & Technology
firefighting team to know exactly where an alarm condition is occurring. In addition, Overview
emergency responders can use fire service access elevators to quickly arrive in the lo- Energy storage: A
cation of the alarm condition. component of energy
conservation
Although notification systems have also advanced, the unfortunate human factor with fire A New Approach To High
alarm notification is that occupants are quick to dismiss fire alarm horns and strobes due Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
to previous experiences in false activations of the fire alarm. In places like shopping malls,
hotels or restaurants, occupants are less likely to evacuate the building during notification Transformer protection is
unless they have an additional cue such as seeing fire or smelling smoke. The introduction
of live voice communication and mass notification systems have helped mitigate this issue. Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
They provide better direction to the occupants such as “This is your fire safety director, we
are investigating an alarm condition on the fourth floor” or “there is a fire condition on the Choosing active and
sixth floor, please evacuate immediately.” This has significantly helped the effort of evacua- passive fire protection
tion from buildings, but these systems are not required in all cases.
systems
Applications
Smoke control
Smoke control systems have been used more often, especially in exit stairs in which Data center facility meshes
with modern office
pressurization is provided to ensure that smoke does not infiltrate the exit stair during
an evacuation. Smoke control systems are also being used in atria to ensure that occu-
pants are able to exit the building in a fire event before the smoke layer descends to a
level where untenable conditions occur.
In some cases, smoke control is used to pressurize floor by floor where the fire floor or
compartment would be negatively pressurized and the surrounding floors or compart-
67
ments would be positively pressurized. This is What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
done to ensure that any smoke from the originat-
ing fire compartment does not spread into sur- SENS MicroGenius 2
rounding compartments. This is an effective way Overview
to use smoke control systems upon the activation
Energy storage: A
of an initiating device on the fire alarm system. component of energy
conservation
In addition to the active smoke control systems, A New Approach To High
there are many passive components such as Power Switchmode Battery
elevator lobbies separation and smoke barriers Charger Design
that are constructed between residential units Transformer protection is

to ensure that a small kitchen fire does not essential for reliable power
spread to an adjacent neighbor. Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
Understanding fire protection systems Figure 6: This exterior exit stair

is provided with emergency
Choosing active and
In general, even with all passive and active systems working lighting, which is a critical part
as expected, there is always the human behavior aspect of the means of egress system. systems
Without the emergency lighting,
that is unpredictable, which changes how each system Extended Reach Fiber
occupants exiting the building
should be used. As previously mentioned, occupants of a Applications
will move more slowly and are
building often do not respond to a fire emergency unless subject to injury. Courtesy: Data center facility meshes
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger with modern office
they have multiple cues convincing them that there is a
real threat of fire. Depending on the occupancy type, occu-
pants may be given instructions by trained professionals, such as in a hospital.
However, without direct instructions, occupants may not be able to recognize hazards
associated with small changes or may not even be able to see such small changes due
to their lack of familiarity with fire protection systems. Examples of such hazards include
68
small penetrations that What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
are located above a drop
ceiling that are no longer SENS MicroGenius 2
firestopped due to ongoing Overview
maintenance or installation
Energy storage: A
of new IT cables or a sprin- component of energy
kler system where water is conservation
turned off due to an ongo- A New Approach To High
ing construction project. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
The other major issue with Transformer protection is

occupant’s understanding essential for reliable power
of active and passive fire Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
protection systems is the Migration System
fire severity and how it is Choosing active and
often underestimated. In passive fire protection
many cases where fires systems
start, occupants have just Extended Reach Fiber
a few minutes to evacuate Applications
from the immediate vicinity, Data center facility meshes
especially given the mate- with modern office
rial changes in recent years
such as the influx of plastics
in furniture and increased
use of decorative materials.
69
Finally, how do we address the time sensitivity of routine testing and maintenance of What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
a system to ensure all components are in working order? Certainly, having a building
closed or evacuated because a sprinkler system is undergoing testing or maintenance SENS MicroGenius 2
is not appropriate, but how long should a sprinkler system in an occupied building be Overview
allowed to be inoperable?
Energy storage: A
component of energy
The industry looks to standards like NFPA 25: Standard for the Inspection, Testing and conservation
Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems to determine how frequently A New Approach To High
systems need to be inspected and tested. Without the upkeep of these systems, what Power Switchmode Battery
would be the purpose of having them installed? Charger Design
In summary, designers, owners and maintenance personnel need to lead by example essential for reliable power
to preserve the safety of a building. People are needed to design systems properly, Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
maintain these systems and occupants should be properly informed to evacuate upon Migration System
the initiation of any active fire protection system. During the design, construction or Choosing active and
renovation, if it appears that a system is not working as designed, that system needs to passive fire protection
be repaired. Without each system working as it is intended to, it is likely that the entire systems
fire protection system will not work together to preserve property and life. After all, Extended Reach Fiber
what is the purpose of designing fire protection systems and putting them into service, Applications
if the systems don’t work in the end? Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Nathan B. Wittasek, PE; Kevin M. Black, PE
Nathan B. Wittasek is a principal with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger. He has been prac-
ticing fire protection engineering for new and existing structures since 1997. Kevin M.
Black is a senior consulting engineer with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger. He has worked
in fire protection testing and code consulting since 2013.
70
Extended Reach Abstract
Today’s diverse and ever-changing technology applications
Fiber Applications
require consistent review of the passive cabling infrastruc-
tures that support them. Thorough evaluation of current
and future bandwidth requirements, active component
costs, physical design constraints, and environmental fac-
tors drive a decision-making process that can be complex
and subject to miscalculation. These factors can unfortu-
nately lead to performance issues or an under-designed
infrastructure that does not support future increased band-
width needs.
Many organizations desire to maximize their existing ca-

bling infrastructure or extend the network reach from that
infrastructure. This can lead to the need for performance
over distances that exceed industry standards, mating sig-
nals through multiple connection points, or a combination
of both. These scenarios lead to concerns about the pas-
sive channel’s bandwidth capabilities and attenuation loss
in relation to the transceiver transmit power and receiver
sensitivity.
Why is Extended Reach Necessary?

Extended reach refers to a cabling infrastructure that ex-
ceeds the maximum length for an application as defined
Leviton Link Loss Analysis
by industry standards. It may also include a topology with
Theory, Design, and Installation Considerations
Extended Reach Fiber Applications

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation

many connections. If the sum of all individual connec- Figure 1: Upgrading to 25GBASE-SR Charger Design
over OM3 changes allowable length
tions exhibits the maximum allowed loss defined by Transformer protection is
limits per industry standards
standards, the total loss within the passive channel essential for reliable power
could approach or exceed the maximum channel loss allowed by the target Ethernet Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
or Fibre Channel application. Requirements for extended reach can be due to several Migration System
factors: Choosing active and passive
Technology Upgrades
Tech refreshes may occur every few years. The new application may have a shorter Applications
functional operational distance than the currently deployed application, per industry
standards. For example, say a network manager has an OM3 trunk that is 250 meters with modern office
long and mated to MTP-to-LC modules, providing connection between two buildings
as shown in Figure 1. 10GBASE-SR transceivers were previously used, having a stan-
dard-based operational length of 300 meters. If a migration to 25GBASE-SR is desired,
the standard based length limit drops to 100 meters. The network manager would be
seeking confirmation that 25GBASE-SR will be supported over the existing cabling in-
frastructure even though the length exceeds what is allowable in industry standards.
72

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation

Charger Design

Figure 2: Adding components to Migration System
Some technology updates introduce additional fiber a channel may exceed maximum
optic components, such as cassettes, harnesses, or industry standards for length limits Choosing active and passive
and attenuation loss fire protection systems
adapter plates. These increase the number of physical
matings within the channel. For example, a network has Extended Reach Fiber
a 150-meter OM3 trunk mated to MTP-to-LC modules, providing connection between Applications
two buildings (Figure 2). 10GBASE-SR transceivers are in use, with a standards-based Data center facility meshes
operational length of 300 meters and a maximum allowable loss of 2.6 dB. The net- with modern office
work manager wants to extend that same circuit to another building through another
cassette/trunk/cassette channel of 200 meters. They want to confirm that 10GBASE-SR
will still be supported over the existing cabling infrastructure, even though the length
exceeds the standards length limit and the overall attenuation in the new channel is
approaching the maximum allowable attenuation loss.
73
Active hardware additions and associated changes What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
There are cases where the intended active hardware may result in requiring an ad-
ditional Telecommunications Room or Telecommunications Enclosure in the facility SENS MicroGenius 2
design. Similarly, a different fiber grade may become necessary, such as OM4, OM5, Overview
or OS2. These changes could require additional patch points, resulting in loss in the
Energy storage: A
channel or exceeding the standards-based maximum length. component of energy
conservation
Competitive product response A New Approach To High
Sometimes, as part of their bidding or submittal process for award, a contractor or Power Switchmode Battery
consultant may be asked to validate that their design will meet performance require- Charger Design
ments to a specified distance, topology, or data rate that exceed industry standard Transformer protection is
specifications. essential for reliable power

Migration System
Limitation Factors
What are the factors that limit extended reach? Choosing active and passive
Maximum performance loss of components Extended Reach Fiber

• Standard based limits vs. Engineered Links Applications
• Factory controlled product vs. Field installation Data center facility meshes
• Maximum vs. Typical loss with modern office
Number and Quality of connections in the channel

• Standard connector matings
• Cassettes
• Splitters/TAPs
74
Fiber Grade What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
• Multimode vs. Single-Mode
• Optical specifications SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Transceivers
Energy storage: A
• Output power component of energy
• Receiver sensitivity conservation
• Center wavelength and spread A New Approach To High
Charger Design
Link Loss and Extended Reach Calculations
How is Link Loss and Extended Reach analysis performed? Transformer protection is
Leviton has the capability to calculate the maximum distance that a specific application Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
can be supported over a given channel topology. This capability is based on statistical
analysis of typical component losses and industry accepted models to determine opti- Choosing active and passive
cal losses in a channel.
Design Considerations Applications
Scalable and appropriate infrastructure design Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Many network managers design for the ability to easily scale networks in environments
such as data centers and multi-floor or campus facilities. With ever increasing band-
widths, minimizing the quantity of connector matings while still providing the ability to
inter-connect or cross-connect is a common priority.
Risk needs to be assessed in the configurations that indicate potential intermittent or

75

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation

Charger Design

Migration System

non-functioning scenarios. This could result in design changes reducing the number of Extended Reach Fiber
matings, considering a different fiber grade (OM4 or OS2), evaluating optional cabling Applications
paths to reduce length, or a combination of all three. Data center facility meshes
with modern office
Conclusion
Balancing budgetary considerations, operational costs, migration strategy and system
performance can be a complex process. Understanding the limitations of a networks
functional capability is critical in assessing risk. Leviton recommends having a full un-
derstanding of current and future data applications, target application transceiver
specifications, and a careful analysis of the performance capabilities of the passive
76
cabling infrastructure. What to look for in NFPA

72-2022
Leviton Link Loss Assurance reinforces design work by adding a high level of confi- SENS MicroGenius 2
dence in the channel performance and application support. In addition, Leviton Opt-X® Overview
Unity and Enterprise DC end-to-end fiber solutions exceed industry standard require-
Energy storage: A
ments, offering superior channel performance. Leviton’s Link Loss calculations provide component of energy
a snapshot of how any given topology using Unity and Enterprise DC connectivity will conservation
outperform the standard. A New Approach To High
Contact Leviton Data Center Designers and Applications Engineers for a detailed eval- Charger Design
uation of current and future infrastructure at: Transformer protection is

www.leviton.com/ns Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
appeng@leviton.com (US, Canada, Caribbean, the Americas) Choosing active and passive
appeng.eu@leviton.com (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
with modern office
77
Data center facility meshes with
modern office What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
RagingWire’s TX-1 facility in North Texas is a mixture of an office space and Product & Technology
operations hub for a sophisticated data center. Overview
Energy storage: A
T he internet cloud lives in data centers located around the world. These facilities
offer space, power, cooling and security for millions of computers/servers that host
the information we depend on. As the Internet of Things (IoT) grows exponentially year
component of energy
conservation

over year, data centers are becoming essential infrastructure that supports personal, Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
social, professional and commercial activities by connecting people and devices to
each other. Transformer protection is
Although RagingWire has in-house design and construction teams, the company Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
Migration System
lacked the resources to design its TX-1 facility in North Texas. RagingWire’s decision
to collaborate with the architecture, design and engineering firm Page resulted in a Choosing active and passive
hybrid project delivery model since the client/owner participated in the process and
served as construction general contractor. The delivery model worked at scale to im- Extended Reach Fiber
Applications
prove design, quality and speed-to-market.
Data center facility
TX-1 is the first facility completed as part of a five building, one million-sq-ft and 80 meshes with modern
MW IT load development, which is the total power required by servers, storage, net- office
work and other devices in the data center that must keep running if there is a loss of
utility power. TX-1 also is the first data center to be designed as a showroom for media
and investors.
The public-facing office is a unique component of the program and allowed the Page
78
Data center facility meshes with modern office

72-2022
SENS MicroGenius 2
Overview
Energy storage: A
component of energy
conservation

Charger Design

Migration System


Applications
Data center facility

meshes with modern
team to integrate not only workplace strategy but also the Essential power and cooling office
company’s identity into the design. The building is a two-sto- systems are lit or painted
in company colors for easy
ry, approximately 40,000-sq-ft glass and steel frame structure
identification. Courtesy: Albert
that houses offices for RagingWire Data Center operations Vecerka ESTO Photographics/
and client use. Page
The first building constructed includes site improvements, 16 MW capacity and an inte- 79
grated two-story office. Each 16 MW white space consists of126,000 sq ft of raised floor What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
area subdivided into 1MW vaults within a 201,000 sq-ft total data center building shell.
SENS MicroGenius 2
Visitors to RagingWire’s TX-1 are often prospective clients. A carefully choreographed Overview
sequence of spaces utilizes the sequence of interior spaces – from the secure lobby,
Energy storage: A
through the lounge areas and conference center and continuing up the stairs for a view component of energy
of the secure data vaults and power room – as the “sales pitch.” conservation

The choreographed route appeals to the savvy guest as the spaces demonstrate Rag- Power Switchmode Battery
ingWire’s capability and credibility in providing secure cloud-based storage and physi- Charger Design
cality of “where the cloud lives.” Transformer protection is

Concrete walls and back metal clad surfaces encompass the concentric layers of secure Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
areas beyond the entry, as a physical manifestation of the secure nature being offered. Migration System
In contrast, white, cloud-like amenities spaces with large-glazed expanses express a Choosing active and passive
sense transparency and accessibility of the cloud. fire protection systems

Class A office space is uncommon at most data centers. RagingWire anticipated that Applications
clients would station their own IT teams at this facility, so TX-1 offers well-appointed Data center facility
common spaces and amenities typical of tech companies. Social, community and con- meshes with modern
ferencing facilities occupy the window line and face a courtyard that provides tenants office
with secure access to the outdoors.
IT systems administration is a round-the-clock job. Recognizing that some tenants

would occupy the facility overnight and on weekends, the design team incorporated
comfortable lounge areas where tenants can relax and socialize.
80
The board room offers a panoramic view of a functioning vault that allows clients to What to look for in NFPA
72-2022
view RagingWire’s typical configuration without entering the vault, preserving securi-
ty. Essential power and cooling systems are lit or painted in company colors for easy SENS MicroGenius 2
identification. A cantilevered skywalk offers another view of the vault and adds surprise Overview
to the design.
Energy storage: A
component of energy
The company relies on its patented 2N+N electrical infrastructure – systems that en- conservation
able RagingWire to maintain and update the data center, even during an outage. As a A New Approach To High
result, it has had zero downtime over the last 10 years. Power Switchmode Battery
Charger Design
The design of RagingWire’s TX-1 facility also enhances the company’s identity and its Transformer protection is
mission with amenities that meet or exceed today’s tech industry expectations, such essential for reliable power
as a community conference room, a lounge, break room, fitness center and hotel-like Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic
rooms. The design weaves a series of private and semi-public spaces of varying size Migration System
and accessible by controlled levels of security enhancing the identity of the company Choosing active and passive
and its mission. fire protection systems

Freddy Padilla Applications
Freddy Padilla is principal/engineering director at Page. Data center facility
meshes with modern
office
81
Data Centers
Thank you for visiting the Data Centers eBook!

Content Archive
2021 Fall Edition If you have any questions or feedback about the contents
2021 Summer Edition
in this eBook, please contact CFE Media at
customerservice@cfemedia.com
2021 Spring Edition
2021 Winter Edition We would love to hear from you!

Data Center

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Data Center

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DATA

3 — What to look for in NFPA 72-2022

Step 1: Public input. What to look for in

Extended Reach Fiber

reflect the term revision of What to look for in

notification appliance circuit Transformer protection is

vising station transmitting Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Data center facility meshes

alarm system operates with this new What to look for in

Chapter 17: Initiating Devices What to look for in

Chapter 23: Protected Premises Alarm and Signaling Systems

mentioned activities will require qualified personnel What to look for in

Alarm Systems Transformer protection is

What to look for in NFPA

A New Approach To High

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Choosing active and passive

Extended Reach Fiber

Technology Overview Data center facility meshes

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

What to look for in NFPA

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Choosing active and passive

Extended Reach Fiber

Data center facility meshes

Data center facility meshes

What to look for in NFPA

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Data center facility meshes

What to look for in NFPA

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

demand increases as What to look for in NFPA

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

It has 1,000 tons of peak What to look for in NFPA

as well. The sizing and What to look for in NFPA

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Extended Reach Fiber

Data center facility meshes

• Minimize conversion losses (also known as round-trip losses).

• Use of on-site, renewable energy

tion in the code. Some What to look for in NFPA

ASHRAE 90.1: Reducing energy use for 45 years

Choosing active and passive

Extended Reach Fiber

Data center facility meshes

Switchmode delivers advantages in dynamic response, smoothness of

Design required to repair legacy line frequency chargers. Despite

This paper attempts to identify the causes for this hesi-

Extended Reach Fiber

Data center facility meshes

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

1. IEEE 1613 is a standard related to environmental and testing requirements for

circuits can cause short circuits What to look for in NFPA

What to look for in NFPA

Improving cooling system per- Energy storage: A

5. A user-friendly alarm system What to look for in NFPA

more difficult than wash- What to look for in NFPA

The alarm system includes

What to look for in NFPA

Opt-X Unity Fiber Optic

Enclosing power electronics in sealed boxes enables several simultaneous benefits:

A New Approach To High