Distinguished Lecturer Program

The Distinguished Lecturer Program (DLP) is an in-depth presentation by a leading expert on a topic that fundamentally affects the Information Communication Technology industry.

The 2023 DLP will be presented by:

Daniel Ashton
Senior Operations Engineer
Critical Infrastructure Technical Support

COMMUNICATION AND DATA CENTERS BACK-UP POWER SYSTEMS
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

This DLP presentation will provide an overview of  DC Power plants, AC Generator back systems and an in depth view of UPS systems and how they are being utilized for data centers and EDGE computing.

DC power has been the backbone of the communication industry since it’s inception. The need for network reliability added both additional energy storage and the use of back up generation. AC Inverters where also added for limited use for AC powered equipment within the communications infrastructure. These types of systems will be reviewed for historical reference.

As new AC powered equipment within communications and data centers was added, UPS’s have become the bridge between the commercial AC power system and the backup generation system when there is a loss of commercial power to critical loads. Multiple UPS system designs will be discussed including redundancy for critical loads. Engineering considerations for system sizing and how much battery reserve time should be planned for will also be covered.

Ongoing maintenance of UPS systems will be reviewed covering the system as a whole and as it relates to batteries and capacitor replacements.