Due to advancements in microprocessor technology, components for the site’s Eclipse 3.1 load bank control system were becoming obsolete, leaving the campus vulnerable to power testing failures. To prevent this, and to improve overall testing performance, Crestchic upgraded the control system to its latest NOVA hardware, alongside the installation of a new emergency stop system, fibre connectivity, and a rugged LC80 tablet control.

Steven Jewell, Service Engineer for Crestchic, comments on the essential upgrades:

“This data centre offers 11,700 m² of server space and has a maximum IT load of 17.1 MW. That amount of power needs a substantial and well-tested backup solution to prevent financially crippling downtime.

“The loadbank at this site is used to test the backup power system in a way that is robust and proactive to mitigate the risk of failure. When the customer learned that their control system was becoming harder to maintain and repair due to legacy components, they scheduled an upgrade to the latest controller technology without hesitation.”

Installing the NOVA controller technology

Not only does the NOVA controller technology meet the latest microprocessor technology standards, it also enables additional operational and performance benefits such as the installation of fibre connectivity and the introduction of the LC80 tablet.

A large operating interface display

As part of this data centre’s NOVA upgrade, the team opted for a rugged IP65, LC80 tablet that offers a large operating interface display. From here, data and frequency response curves can be clearly observed and engineers can access a range of advanced features such as a graphical display of transient performance at load change, recording of instrumentation data, and storage of multi-user-defined load-profiles.

Fast, interference-free fibre-optic communications

During these upgrades, the Crestchic team installed high-speed fibre optic cables back to the data centre’s building management system (BMS), delivering far faster data transfer capabilities.

With long distances of up to 500m possible without the need for signal boosting, and total immunity to electrical noise interference, Crestchic’s fibre control is a natural choice for demanding data centre environments.

Steven concludes: “With the upgrade works to the load bank control system complete, the data centre operator can now continue with its regular generator testing, safe in the knowledge that they have state-of-the-art technology at their fingertips.

“Crestchic is proactive in recommending system upgrades to its customers whenever technology becomes obsolete, or components become hard to source. This way, we can prevent downtime and help keep our customer’s sites working smoothly.”

Backup power testing best practice for data centres

A robust and proactive approach to the maintenance and testing of the power system is crucial to alleviate the chance of failure. However – it is vital that this doesn’t become a tick-box exercise – implementing a testing regime which validates the reliability and performance of backup power must be done under the types of loads found in real operational conditions. With this in mind, what would be considered best practice for testing a backup power system?

Ideally, all generators should be tested annually for real-world emergency conditions using a resistive-reactive 0.8pf load bank. Best practice dictates that all gensets (where there are multiple) should be run in a synchronised state, ideally for 8 hours but for a minimum of 3.

Where a reactive-only load bank is used, testing should be increased to 2-4 times per year at 3 hours per test. In carrying out this testing and maintenance, fuel, exhaust and cooling systems and alternator insulation resistance are effectively tested and system issues can be uncovered in a safe, controlled manner without the cost of major failure or unplanned downtime.

For more information, contact Crestchic on +44 (0)1283 531 645 or complete the online contact form.

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What is the LINDA project? 

Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the project looks at how renewable energy plants could supply power to a local “island” grid in a decentralised way in the event of a power failure. The project – Local Island Grid Supply and Accelerated Grid Reconstruction with Decentralised Generation Plants in the Event of Large-scale Power Outages (or the more simple “LINDA” to those in the know) – seeks to explore, test and implement ways of making power generation systems use renewable energy sources for emergency power supplies. 

In 2018, phase one of the project – which involved partners from across academia and industry, including the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, the Technical University of Munich, LEW Verteilnetz and LEW Wasserkraft, and KIMA automation – won the ISGAN Award (International Smart Grid Action Network) and the Bavarian Energy Prize.

The project included the development of a new emergency generator that successfully integrated renewable decentralised power generation systems, including photovoltaic systems, hydroelectric power plants and a biogas plant, into an independent island grid. In the event of a power failure, the system was designed to supply a local grid with electricity power from existing renewable energy sources. 

Emergency power – limitations of the current approach 

Historically, emergency power generators have been operated in such a way that power failures can result in a temporary lapse in supply while the generator kicks in. As well as causing momentary outages and fluctuations in supply, these backups are usually supplied by diesel generators. With the new approach, the system is designed to provide a continuous supply in the event of a power failure – using power from multiple decentralised systems and, crucially, favouring renewables as a backup power source. 

In pilots of the system, LINDA was able to guarantee the uninterrupted power supply of households in the test communities. This was done without costly retrofitting of the current systems, providing an important building block for the energy transition and improved security of supply.

LINDA 2.0 – automating backup power 

In the second phase of the project – LINDA 2.0 – the research team is developing a supply concept with battery storage and a diesel generator to provide an additional backup power supply. As well as providing a backup, the system is being designed to automatically balance the fluctuating power generation from decentralised systems and the energy load itself. As well as ensuring a stable and secure power supply without interruptions, the automation will enable the system to shift into emergency mode remotely, without the need for staff to be on site. 

Bespoke load bank solution helps to balance frequency 

In order to automate the system, AVS – a German blackout management specialist that provides generators and grid stabilisation systems to a range of industries – worked with the team at Crestchic Loadbanks to create a fully automatic hybrid frequency-controlled power control for generators up to 1300 kVA. 

Dubbed AVS Greenomic, the solution allows the system to prioritise drawing on renewable energy (e.g. CHP, wind power or photovoltaic systems) in order to provide backup power in a blackout scenario – allowing Diesel fuel consumption to be reduced by up to 80%. The load bank itself provides a stability of voltage and frequency when switching between different power sources, and maintains a constant 20% load on the Generator. Any oversupply of energy is also consumed in a controlled manner, helping to balance the power generation system and smooth out any frequency inbalances.

Mike Derbyshire, European Area Sales Manager at Crestchic, explains, “We’ve worked with AVS for a number of years, so were delighted to collaborate with them on a bespoke solution that would meet the requirements of the LINDA project. Our standard load banks and controllers were adapted to allow AVS to add their own control system, and we added additional fuse protection, an interface between the load bank and the Greenomic assembly and the power connections themselves – all of which enables the system to balance the frequency and ensure and reliable and stable supply. It’s a high-profile project and we’re pleased to have been able to use our technical experience to support and enable the project goals.” 

To find out more about the role of load banks in backup power systems, get in touch here: Contact Us.

For our German office, visit: Crestchic Germany.

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Jon joins the team from Rolls Royce, where he was Chief of Manufacturing Engineering. During his eight years with the company, Jon managed the production of flight test and compliance engines from initial development into volume production, as well as overseeing the company’s global assembly facilities in the UK and New Product Introduction in Singapore and Germany. 

Prior to Rolls Royce, Jon spent 14 years at Siemens Oil Gas, holding a number of engineering management positions including production quality, logistics and operations.

Jon’s appointment comes at a time when Crestchic is expanding its manufacturing footprint by over 60%, adding an additional 2000 square meters to its current site. The new flagship factory will help to meet increased demand from the power reliability, renewables and data centre sectors. 

Speaking about his appointment, Jon commented “I’ve got a real passion for engineering. My Dad was an Engineer, and my Grandpa before him. I’m really excited to bring that passion to the role at Crestchic – especially in light of the forthcoming expansion of our manufacturing facilities. I’m really enjoying meeting the teams and working with them to build on their current successes by identifying incremental improvements that will allow us to be best in class when it comes to product safety, integrity and quality, as well as meeting customer expectations in terms of lead times.” 

Chris Caldwell, Managing Director at Crestchic added, “We are delighted to welcome Jon to the business and see tremendous value in his world class experience in managing production facilities for large blue chip companies. Jon will strengthen our engineering and production capabilities at an exciting time for the business, allowing us to upscale and meet growing customer demand.”

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