Data centers: always connected

When we say something is “in the cloud”, we often mean it is elsewhere, typically in a centralized location. Whether we are using the most advanced and creative artificial intelligence (AI), or accessing the backup of last year’s holiday photos, the services the cloud provides must be fast, secure and always available. 

It may be easy to assume that data centers, being a computing application, are the domain of IT hardware suppliers, and not of a power and automation provider like ABB. This is true for the computing part of such installations. Yet there is far more to a data center than raw IT power. For example, ABB provides power supplies, grid connections, cooling and ventilation, as well as control and monitoring solutions. ABB helps data centers meet the highest reliability standards. A data center must even continue running should the grid supply go down.

With the exponential growth of AI and other online services, the power consumed might be expected to follow a similar growth curve, with dire implications for carbon emissions. ABB is mitigating this by pushing the boundaries in terms of energy efficiency and resource optimization.

The following examples are but a small selection of the broad selection of products and services we provide for data centers.

HiPerGuard

The adoption of generative AI is driving significant changes in the data center industry. To meet the growing demand for AI, data centers are demanding increased power and expanded capacity, leading to redesign in electrical infrastructure strategies. At ABB, we are innovating to achieve more density and efficiency for modern data centers.

In a typical data center, a standard 19-inch server rack usually requires no more than 30 kW of power. In AI facilities, this demand has already increased 10 percent to around 40 kW. To accommodate more power in the same space, advanced power distribution equipment is essential.

What would it take to reach power levels beyond 200kW?

Achieving such significant increases necessitates a major shift in power architecture, specifically transitioning low voltage power distribution in IT spaces with medium voltage power systems. Recognizing this need, ABB made early investments in developing its HiPerGuard UPS technology. The first of its kind, this uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) provides a continuous and reliable power supply of up to 24 kV for mission critical facilities. 

Leveraging  medium-voltage UPS system offers substantial savings in installation and labor costs for large scale data centers due to reduced power cable requirements compared to traditional low voltage designs. Additionally, the scalability of the HiPerGuard MV UPS, which can expand up to 25 MW blocks, minimizes the number of components in the overall system, enhancing reliability, lowering operating costs, and simplifying design.

HiPerGuard delivers the highest levels of efficiency available on the market, at 98 percent – translating to a potential carbon emission reduction of 1,360 tonnes over a 15-year lifespan. 

Others in the industry are now beginning to follow this approach. Large-scale AI data centers in Europe and North America are among the early adopters of ABB’s technology.

Staying cool with ultra low-harmonic drives

Assuring the right temperature and humidity in a data center is vital to protect the sensitive installations and ensure their reliability. This is the purpose of cooling and ventilation systems powered by ABB’s motors and drives. These motor and drive combinations must not only be highly reliable and minimize energy usage, they must also minimize harmonics. 

Harmonics are currents at higher frequencies, typically caused by the operation of electrical equipment such as converters. Harmonics can pollute an electrical network and degrade the operation of connected equipment, reduce reliability, and possibly cause malfunctions or even permanent damage.   ABB’s ultra-low harmonic (ULH) drives are specifically designed to address power quality issues. By minimizing harmonic distortion, ULH drives help ensure stable power delivery, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of cooling systems and protecting the center’s broader electrical infrastructure. A key advantage of ULH drives is their superior efficiency under partial load conditions.

ULH drives are built with modularity in mind, allowing for easy installation, upgrades, and servicing. This makes them a flexible solution for facilities looking to future-proof their infrastructure. They can be adapted without major system overhauls, helping to keep both capital and operational expenditures under control.

Additionally, a suite of digital services use data analytics while drawing on ABB’s deep expertise to keep cooling systems running efficiently, predictably and safely.

Benefits of enhanced data center cooling controls technologies include:

• Increased operational reliability and uptime
• Lower energy consumption and costs
• Operational cost savings
• Capital cost savings
• Reduced harmonics

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