UNCOVERING THE LAYERS
John Berenbrok , Senior Product Manager , Data Centre Infrastructure at Starline
• Plug-in units ( or tap boxes )
• Power monitoring
You should look for a busway system that includes multiple provisions to deal with potential arc flash scenarios . The solution should have the following :
• Certifications from nationallyrecognised test labs
• Selective coordination of fuses which , in the event of a power surge , allows the busway system to lower potential incident energy to negligible levels
• Arc flash certifications that include operator and equipment safety
• Industry-leading short circuit ratings
• An Ingress Protection safety rating of at least IP2X (‘ finger safe ’) and , if possible , options for IP3X (‘ tool safe ’)
Also , look for a busway system that gives you multiple ground path ( earthing ) options :
• Standard ( protective ) ground system – The busway ’ s aluminum housing provides the system ’ s ground conduction
• Isolated ground system – The ground conductor and the housing ground are isolated from each other in all components ( this can be useful for protecting certain types of IT loads )
• Dedicated ground system – The ground conductor and housing ground are bonded together at the end power feed
Joints
A joint provides a connection between adjacent busway sections , or between a straight busway and an elbow or tee section . Different busway providers use different types of joints . But you should look for vendors that utilise the most reliable kind of joint – a compression-fit joint .
The housing couplers in the joints carry ground conduction through the aluminium housing from busway section to section . It ’ s therefore important to find a busway solution with reliable , well-designed joints in order to properly maintain the ground conduction system .
The problems of bolted and male / female joints
In selecting a busway system , you should avoid solutions where busway sections utilise bolted joints , which are less reliable than a compression-fit joint . In a bolted joint , bolts are used to press flat busbars together . Over time , the bolts can loosen , again resulting in a poor electrical connection . In a worst-case scenario , the joint can heat up to the burning point and potentially cause a fire in the data centre .
Bolted joints must frequently be checked via thermal imaging and re-torqued in order to maintain busway joint integrity . This adds to maintenance troubles and costs , especially in large data centres where thousands of bolted joints must be continuously serviced .
BIOGRAPHY
John Berenbrok is Senior Product Manager at Starline , a brand of Legrand . Starline is a leading manufacturer of critical power distribution products for the data centre industry . John is responsible for the global portfolio of data centre products at Starline , including identifying opportunities for new technologies , products and access to geographic markets .
He has more than 15 years of experience in various product development and leadership roles , including significant experience in the critical power and automation industries . Berenbrok has a Bachelor ’ s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from Duquesne University . www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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