Securing operations in one of the largest data centers in Asia

Challenges in the customer’s data center

A large data center in Asia hosts numerous important IT companies. The operators are some of the largest in Asia. The data center suffered from severe harmonic distortions caused by typical data center loads, mainly the double conversion static UPS systems (average power 10 kW), computers, and LED lamps.

The owner of the building needed to secure the operations and eliminate harmonic distortions to maintain the quality and integrity of the businesses. Target was to improve the operation of the data center by reducing the harmonic distortion to comply with THDi under 5 %.

Our Merus^® Solution

The facility owners and technicians were concerned about the problems caused by poor power quality, so it was decided to collect measurement data from six different switchboard panels of the data center over a period of time by using a power quality analyzer. The results revealed harmonic distortion above the allowable limits. It was obvious that a reliable and robust solution was needed.

Merus Power was chosen as the preferred supplier. The customer was convinced of the advanced 3-level NPC inverter technology used in Merus^® Solutions, along with compact design, ease of operation, and maintenance. Also appreciated were the high-quality product finishing and manufacturing in Finland.

An extensive power quality analysis was done for the complete installation. Based on the data from measurements it was clear that an active filtering solution was required to fix the power quality problems. It was decided to use six different active harmonic filters installed on each switchboard panel of the data center.

Results after installation

Thanks to the fast response time and robust design of Merus^® A2-series Active Harmonic Filters, harmonic distortions were reduced from 20 % to below 5 % (THDi) and are now below the allowable limits. Power factor was improved from 0.82 to close to unity at 0.99, achieving a reduction in kVA maximum demand, in losses, and in the electricity bill. Voltage unbalance was reduced to below 10 % and the building is now meeting the limits set by the regulators. The customer was extremely pleased with the effective and reliable solution.