"power" cleaner 3

[stevemechanical]

i need some help specifying a "power cleaner"
for a high tech firm. i'm not familiar with how this is done. the firm will have 60 computer workstations with 2 lcd monitors at each station.

 

[itsmoked]

So you just want a cleaner.. Not a UPS?

 

[IRstuff]

Are we talking a powerful vacuum cleaner or something to condition the electricity?

And is it to clean it for the computers or to clean up the crap they put back into the power?

TTFN

 

[stevemechanical]

they want ups as well. does a ups do both: provide battery backup & supply a clean noise free power line?

 

[Skogsgurra]

They usually do just that. If specified to do that. Yes.

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

 

[itsmoked]

UPS is a broad area with many complex and varying requirements and abilities. Certainly some can "clean" <ugh>.

You really should call an UPS supplier to help you here. This is like asking someone for a "CD player". There are dozens of possibilities and for the "help" to just start offering model numbers is a waste of everyone's effort.

I'm talking about maybe two pages of important details needed to select the correct UPS and not pay 4 to 10 times too much.

And as IRstuff asks what are the restrictions as to what noise you can let back out of the building with all those harmonic generating PCs?

 

[stevemechanical]

ok, so does that mean i need, say a 500watt ups box for each workstation? (60 workstations x about $100/ups would be $6,000). is this the best way to do this? can i hook-up a single ups before panelboard?

 

[rbulsara]

Please hire a engineering consultant for this..you need a central UPS, related cooling and may be more..

 

[jraef]

There are a lot of details to consider, hence the comments about getting a professional involved. Distributed UPS's (one for each workstation) are likely more expensive and have other consequences, but in general provide the most flexibility. If someone moves to a different part of the opffice, they take their UPS with them. A centralized UPS means having dedicated circuits (you don't want someone pluging a coffee pot into it!) which can increase the cost in an existing facility, but if you are designing a new facility, it may be the way to go. It allows for a single point of maintenance and testing, a key factor in making sure it is there when you need it. However, once designed in, your office layout becomes dictated by the placement of UPS fed outlets. On top of all that, the "power cleaner" (the proper term is "Power Conditioner" BTW) part of the equation is complex in it's own right. Some technologies work better in some applications than others, and without having someone who truly understands your facility and needs, there are pitfalls ahead for you if you try to do it with free advice. We are here to offer tips, not substitute for someone who can do the whole job.

Look for an EE or firm that specializes in Power Quality issues, the buzzword that is used to describe what you are looking for.

"Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more."
Nikola Tesla

 

[ScottyUK]

Also consider that personal UPS's provide enough time for a graceful shutdown but little more. If you are looking for capability to survive a major power outage and to keep the equipment working until the utility recovers you probably need a central system and backup generation.

Get professional help. This is a potentially complex requirement with myriad solutions. Before you start enquiries, the most important thing you must do is to establish what value your business places on security-of-supply and from that determine your available budget for protecting that supply. Once you know how much you can spend the options open to you will become more apparent. You won't get top-of-the-line performance and reliability at economy rates, but equally you presumably wouldn't hang a multi-million £ business on a £100 UPS from the high street store. Your UPS installation is ultimately a tradeoff of capital investment against business risk which is a decision only you or your company can make.



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One day my ship will come in.
But with my luck, I'll be at the airport!

 

[stevemechanical]

thank you all for your valuable tips, i now have a better design approach.