Keeping the power on, with residual current monitoring
Ensuring your critical power systems remain safe, reliable and compliant whilst foregoing the use of RCDs can be a tricky balancing act. Thankfully, there are options available to do all this for you with minimal effort.
Data centre equipment is as reliable as integrity of the circuits that feed it. In installations where periodic inspection and testing can be carried out in full at the recommended intervals, developing faults or potential problems can be identified allowing for rectification or improvement as required. However, in a power critical installation, such as a data centre, the option of shutting down power and carrying out insulation resistance testing simply doesn’t exist. Latent faults can lie unnoticed, gradually deteriorating until the worst happens: injury to personnel, loss of power or fire. The exemption allowed on RCDs for Data Centre environments (IS 10101:2020 section 411.3.3 and 554.4.1) whilst reducing the risk of nuisance tripping, increases the risk of a dangerous situation occurring.
Bender residual current monitoring (RCM) technology can provide an answer to this problem. Through continuous monitoring in real-time, RCM systems can evaluate and report to your BMS the levels of residual currents right down to individual PDU level. Completely non-intrusive, the RCM system can be configured to provide
pre‑alarm and main alarm warnings at user defined levels depending on the requirements of the individual circuits. This fulfils the requirements of IS 10101:2020 section 6.5.1.2:
“Where a circuit is permanently monitored by an RCM in accordance with IS EN 62020…it is not necessary to measure the insulation resistance if the functioning…RCM is correct”
RCM technology can be further demonstrated to satisfy the requirements of IS 10101:2020 section 6.5.2.2:
“In the case of an installation under an effective management system for preventative maintenance in normal use, periodic verification may be replaced by an adequate regime of continuous monitoring and maintenance of the installation and all its constituent equipment by skilled persons”
Bender RCM technology as part of a managed system can be used to demonstrate compliance with standards, eliminating the cost and headache associated with shutdown for periodic inspection and testing.
Save time, reduce cost, eliminate waste, and negate the need to switch of and test, while increasing system safety, availability and information levels.
Visit Bender UK know how pages for design tips and information: https://www.bender-uk.com/know-how/technology/tn-s-tt-system
Lawrence Pullin
Technical Sales Manager
lawrence.pullin@bender-uk.com
Bender UK Ltd, Ulverston, Cumbria, UK
https://www.bender-uk.com/solutions/data-centres
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