Mission Critical - Winter 2008 - (Page 54)

Backup Power continued Designed with peak-shaving capabilities, Russelectric switchgear allows Bassett to drop off the grid during peak load periods and even to return power to the utility in periods of excessively high regional demand. When the normal supply voltage returns, the system, after a preset time delay, transfers all building loads, in the selected transition mode, back to the normal source. Once initiated, the retransfer sequence occurs in two stages. In the closed transition mode, the 12.47-kV generators synchronize with the utility power source, close the 12.47-kV utility breaker, transfer the load gradually to the utility source, and then open the 12.47-kV generator tie breaker. Once the 12.47-kV generators have transferred their load, the switchgear controls allow the 480-V transfer switches to retransfer to their normal position. The engines will continue to operate unloaded for a cool-down period. All controls are then automatically reset, in readiness for the next operation. The switch gear can also be programmed for baseload peak-shaving. Thanks to a lucrative agreement between Bassett Healthcare and the regional power company, Bassett’s backup power system pays for itself over time. An “interruptible power contract” gives the utility permission to drop Bassett from the regional electrical grid (with advance notice) during periods of peak demand. In return, the utility pays Bassett, at a rate much higher than what Bassett pays for its normal feed, for every megawatt Bas- sett generates while off-line. “It’s great for us,” says Middleton. “We’re off the grid for a few hundred hours a year, mostly in the summertime, when the power we generate is of higher quality than what we get from the utility. It’s rock-solid, with stable frequency and voltage. But on the grid, with all the air-conditioning demands, we see large switching transients as new power sources are switched in and out.” Bassett also has the capacity to export power to the grid, although they have never been asked to do so. Middleton makes sure he has 45,000 gallons of lesspolluting, low-sulfur oil stored on site for the generators. The two largest generators consume 280 gallons an hour when operating — 6,720 gallons every 24 hours. With the three older, smaller generators operating concurrently, Bassett could burn 8,000 to 10,000 gallons of oil a day just to power the main campus. Due to improvements by the manufacturer (Caterpillar), Bassett’s two newest generators, the largest ones, produce fewer emissions together than one of the original generators purchased in 1990. All of Bassett’s generators are rated and permitted for continuous use if necessary. Today, in addition to the main facility, every Bassett clinic has its own Russelectric automatic transfer switch for backup power. Bassett maintains 30 generators in all. “When you look at a Russelectric transfer switch, you can see that the quality of the bussing, the control wires, the layout, etc. is dramatically better than that of competitors’ switches,” says Middleton. He estimates that 16 Russelectric transfer switches and one set of paralleling gear, all of which were installed almost 18 years ago, will last another 10 years. “At Bassett, we look at utility infrastructure as the core support element for all our other initiatives,” Middleton explains. “If the infrastructure is flexible, and adaptable, you can build on it. But to do that, you need to partner with a company whose systems are adaptable and reliable, a company that is nimble and service-oriented. Russelectric is both. We depend on Russelectric field service for everything except routine daily maintenance. When we have issues with our system that are beyond our local capabilities, no matter how complex, Russelectric is there without delay — their service is timely and spot-on.” “Russelectric has been a true partner with us from day one,” Middleton continues. “Their top-notch engineers have helped us through problems, creating unique solutions. It’s been a great relationship. Russelectric’s focus is on the design and sale of industry-leading products, but they should sell their services too. They are a talented, creative group of people, and they offer exceptional engineering capabilities and services. After all, when you invest in a power control system you’re buying much more than gray boxes!” ■ ◗ REPRINTS OF THIS ARTICLE are available by contacting Jill DeVries at devriesj@bnpmedia.com or at 248-244-1726. 54 | Mission Critical Winter 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Mission Critical - Winter 2008

Mission Critical - Winter 2008 Table of Contents Editorial: What Have We Been Doing? Cronin’s Workshop: Imagining the Perfect Data Center Power And Cooling Solution Digital Power: The Next Edge in Business Resiliency Zinc Whiskers: Keeping Up With The Green Movement Mission Critical Care: Shipping, Staging, and Installation Legal Perspectives: “A Reliable Energy Supply Is Key to Data Center Success” Continued Payback, Instant Protection Beyond the Nines The Green Information Technology Revolution Health Care Network Offers Glimpse of the Future of Backup Power High-Density Data Centers – Discuss, Design, Deploy High Performance Data Centers Call for Innovative Cooling Techniques More Data in the Data Center Five Considerations for Powering Data Center Racks New Products Industry News Events Classifieds Letters Ad Index Datacenter Wiki: wiki-Mission Critical

Mission Critical - Winter 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.