Robert Hudock,美国E I工程公司，西海岸地区销售总监
由DCD中国授权DKV编译并发表于DeepKnowledge微信公众号。
随着能源成本和能耗持续上升，企业开始不满意现状，寻找更有效的数据中心解决方案。考虑到传统的数据中心升级，需要复杂的建设时间和成本，这种劳动密集型的解决方案已经不能适应行业的增长速度。因此，模块化电力建设正迅速成为数据中心升级的首选建设方法——使企业能够以比以往任何时候都更有效的方式应对行业增长中前所未有的激增。
模块化数据中心是一种便携式解决方案，可以在任何需要的地方部署数据处理能力。在较小的占地面积和在较短的时间内，能提供大量供电能力。模块化电源装置在工厂内的模拟环境中进行制造和测试，以符合项目规范。便携式供电解决方案，工厂集成后运输到现场，完成建设，测试，并准备立即安装。模块化数据中心设计的定制性质，为每个项目单独提供了一个解决方案：可以选择将基础设施，安置在封闭的开关室或开放式框架电源滑轨上。每个模组均带有自己的控制程序。
密闭的开关电源室
开放式固定的电源滑轨
通常，模块化的动力滑轨是有室内型的数据中心的理想选择，因为与其他形式的动力结构相比，模块化的动力滑轨成本更低，限制更少。电源滑轨为数据中心升级提供了快速的周转时间，同时保持了更高的灵活性，主要原因是它们不受相同的空间限制。
不管选择如何的设计，通过引入模块化数据中心获得的效率是传统的土建结构无法比拟的。模块化电力结构的灵活性可以简化数据中心建设，从规划到调试。巩固模块化设计，成为未来数据中心行业增长的关键的助推剂。
对于终端用户、咨询公司和承包商来说，部署速度常常是一个很大的问题。无法快速适应不断增长的电源需求，可能会对业务操作造成不利影响。模块化电力建设的实施对项目工期产生了重大影响。所有系统都可以在现场施工的同时进行预测试，减少了现场工程和测试所需的时间。
除了快速周转时间外，成本效率是模块化数据中心的另一个显著优势，可归因于以下因素：
灵活性
为了扩大数据中心的供电容量，需要增加空间来建设新的基础设施。但是，为此目的扩建现有基础设施或购置新的'混凝土和砌块'设施可能非常昂贵。在未来业务增长存在不确定性的情况下，模块化供电解决方案使企业能够更灵活地升级供电容量。这有助于将财务风险降至最低，并使建筑经理和工程师能够更有效地管理其成本。同样，随着大型和超大规模设施的增加，分阶段建设往往需要使资本成本与即将到来的需求更紧密地匹配。
简便性
过程越简单，项目越有可能保持在预算之内。例如，由于基础设施是在受控的工厂环境中集成安装的，然后作为一个完全完整的电源解决方案运输到现场，现场出现问题的可能性降低了。这些问题可能会导致工期延迟，并产生一些不可预见的成本。同样，由于供电模块在发货前一次性的集成建设了，现场工作将大大减少，从而降低了人工成本。
在模块化数据中心的安装阶段，与传统安装相比，现场工时最多可减少84%，所需起重作业减少77%。这大大降低了现场事故或受伤的风险。此外，在一个可控的工厂测试环境中，所有的供电模块都经过严格的验收测试(FAT)，然后作为一个整体的测试模组运输到现场。
由于无需对模组进行拆解以供运输，数据中心管理者可以确信，无需进一步测试，所有基础设施都符合FAT期间评估的安全标准。这对于传统的方法来说是不可能的，因为现场工程错误会增加安全隐患。
预制供电模块的预先集成比传统集成要简单得多，因为每个供电模块都是完全互连、预留接口并准备好连接到配电系统。所有PMS接口都预先连接到供电模块中的PMS集线器，将现场PMS减少到单个光纤连接。因此，基础设施可以由快速周转时间和最小的集成建设时间。
考虑到可以通过模块化电力建设，实现的减少项目的建设周期、降低成本、增加安全、安装和调试效率，很明显，与传统方法相比，这种现代方法的装配集成要多很多，以满足行业内不断增长的供电容量需求——及时提高灵活性和高效的供电解决方案，以适应数据中心和数据消费者的需求。
英文原文
Robert Hudock, E I Engineering Ltd
Robert Hudock director of regional sales (West coast) at E I Engineering USA Corp
As energy costs and consumption continues to rise, businesses are beginning to challenge the status quo in search of more efficient data center solutions. Considering the complex logistics and large capital investments required for traditional data center upscaling, this labor-intensive solution is no longer compatible with the rate of industry growth. As a result, modular power construction is fast becoming the construction method of choice for data center upscaling – enabling businesses to react to unprecedented surges in industry growth in a more efficient manner than ever before.
Modular data centers are a portable solution for deploying data processing capacity wherever it is required, delivering large amounts of power within a small footprint and a tight timescale. Modular power units are built and tested in a factory-controlled environment to comply with the project specification. The portable power solutions are then shipped to site, fully built, tested and ready for immediate installation. The bespoke nature of modular data center design provides a solution for everyone, with options for infrastructure to be housed in enclosed switch rooms or on open framed power skid, each with their own applications.
Enclosed Switch rooms
Enclosed switch rooms are an effective method for deploying power infrastructure outside of an existing data center building where the primary function of the enclosure is to protect electrical equipment from the external environment. For instance, an existing data center needs to increase the power capacity of their brick and mortar facility, however due to indoor space limitations it is not possible to extend the physical infrastructure. In this case a bespoke modular enclosed switch room can be engineered and installed in an external area close to the data center – providing a more time and cost-efficient solution than acquiring a new brick and mortar facility.
Open Framed Power Skids
Typically, Modular power skids are an ideal choice in data centers that have available indoor space, as the skids are less costly and less restrictive than other forms of power construction. Power skids facilitate quick turnaround times in data center upscaling whilst maintaining an increased level of flexibility over enclosures as they are not subject to the same space restrictions.
Regardless of the design from chosen, the efficiencies gained through the introduction of modular data centers simply cannot be matched through traditional brick and mortar construction. The flexibility of modular power construction can streamline data center projects from planning right through to commissioning – Solidifying modular design as a key catalyst in future data center industry growth.
Speed of deployment is often a huge concern for end users, consultants and contractors. An inability to quickly adapt to increasing power requirements can be detrimental to business operations. The implementation of modular power construction has had a significant impact on project lead times. All systems can be pre-engineered tested simultaneously with site construction, reducing the time required for on-site engineering and testing.
Aside from quick turnaround times, cost efficiencies are another significant advantage of modular data centers and can be attributed to the following factors:
Flexibility
In order to upscale the power capacity of a data center, physical space is required to house new infrastructure. However, expanding a current facility or acquiring a new ‘brick & mortar’ facility for this purpose can be extremely costly. Where uncertainty surrounding future business growth exists, modular power solutions give businesses the flexibility to upscale power capacity at a more gradual rate. This helps to minimize financial risk and enables building managers and engineers to manage their budgets more effectively. Similarly, with the rise in mega and hyper scale facilities, staged construction is often required to match capital costs more closely to incoming demand.
Simplicity
The more simplistic the process, the more likely the project is to stay within budget. For instance, as the infrastructure is built within a controlled factory environment and then transferred to site as a fully integrated power solution, there is less chance of any issues arising on-site that could potentially cause delay and incur costs that have not already been identified before shipment. Similarly, as the power module is built only once before shipment, on-site man hours will be significantly reduced, resulting in a lower labor cost.
During the installation phase of a modular data center, on-site man hours can be reduced by up to 84 percent with 77 percent less lifting operations required compared to a traditional installation. This significantly decreases the risk of accident or injury on site. Additionally, all power modules undergo rigorous Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) in a controlled environment before being shipped to site as one fully tested unit.
As there is no need for the module to be deconstructed for shipment, data center managers can be assured that without further testing, all infrastructure meets the required safety standards as assessed during the FAT. This cannot be said for traditional methods where there is an increased chance of compromised safety due to on-site engineering errors.
The on-site integration of a pre-fabricated power module is less complex than traditional integration, as each power module arrived fully inter-wired, commissioned and ready to hook up to the power distribution system. All PMS interfaces are pre-wired to the PMS hub within the power module reducing On-site PMS to a single fiber connection. As a result, infrastructure can be integrated with a quick turnaround time and minimal disruption.
Having considered the efficiencies in project lead time, cost, safety, installation and commissioning that can be achieved through modular power construction, it is evident that this modern approach to is much more equipped than traditional methods to cater for the increasing demand for power capacity within the industry - providing timely, flexible and efficient power distribution solutions to suit the needs of both the data center and the data consumer.
联系客服
