Scalable UPS Keeps IT Infrastructure Running As It Grows

Sept. 16, 2002
Designed to power as many as 300 servers, the Galaxy PW uninterruptible power supply (UPS) takes scalability to a new power level. Output from UPS may be configured for power levels ranging from 100 to 225 kVA. Based on a modular design,...

Designed to power as many as 300 servers, the Galaxy PW uninterruptible power supply (UPS) takes scalability to a new power level.

Output from UPS may be configured for power levels ranging from 100 to 225 kVA. Based on a modular design, the UPS comes in power ratings of 100, 130, 150, 180, 200, and 225 kVA. But the full 225 kVA (200 kW) is available within each cabinet. Units may be upgraded in the field by a service operator to boost the available power level.

Although scalable UPS units already exist for power levels below 20 kVA, these are typically geared toward small computer installations. In contrast, Galaxy PW provides scalable three-phase backup power for the type of large installations found in data centers. Each unit is housed in a 75- by 50- by 33-in. cabinet, resulting in power densities between 15 and 18 kW/ft2. Backup time usually spans from 10 to 15 minutes. But adding four battery cabinets may increase that to over an hour.

One of the power supply's key features is a novel current-sharing technique that enables the UPS units to be paralleled without the usual static transfer switch. Another feature is a generator-friendly input filter, an elaborate LC circuit that makes the UPS appear as an inductive rather than capacitive load to an external generator.

So while a 225-kVA UPS would typically require a 500 kVA generator, Galaxy PW permits the use of a smaller generator with a rating of 1.3 times the rating of the UPS plus battery charger. Moreover, the supply features a 0.9-output power factor at 225 kVA.

Pricing starts at $48,000 (list) for 225-kVA models.

MGE UPS Systems, www.mgeups.com; (800) 523-0142.

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