Last week they brought us a diesel generator for backup power for our datacenter. It is a machine with a smaller capacity of 220 kVA, but it will cover the needs of about 1500 servers.
As we wrote in the article How we are doing 2 months after the launch of the services, the launch of dedicated servers was very late compared to the plans. The whole thing runs on electricity. The biggest problem was with the generator. Firstly, in the Czech Republic diesel generators are significantly more expensive than in neighbouring countries for some reason. Secondly, when we had already agreed with one Czech supplier on an interesting price and interesting conditions, after ordering some addendums and other conditions started to emerge, which had not been discussed before, and overall, with the vision of us as a certain customer, the effort fell apart. So we ended it quickly.
Finally, we got a generator in Poland, which was delivered last week and will be plugged in this week or next. Only then can dedicated servers be launched. It is a smaller generator KIPOR KDC200ST3 with an output of 220 kVA, but according to our calculations it is enough for 1500 servers (including air conditioning and other things around).
The generator was placed by crane in the “garden” behind our building. Now we’re just waiting for the electrician to prepare the wiring.
The generator also includes an ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch), which is a device that automatically starts the generator in the event of a power failure from the power plant. The ATS monitors the voltage on the power supply and normally the switch is turned on so that power from the power plant goes to the main switchboard and then to the UPS and servers. When there is a significant voltage drop (or a complete loss), the ATS will command the generator to start and at the same time switch the switch so that power from the generator is connected to the main switchboard.
Within a few seconds or tens of seconds after the failure, everything is running from the generator. The UPS will cover the time between an outage and full power from the generator from its batteries.
When this generator will not be enough, we are counting on the purchase of 2 larger generators, each with an output of about 700 kVA. However, to accommodate them, we first need to make major structural modifications to our land leading to the datacenter building.
Generator parameters
- Designation: KIPOR KDC200ST3
- frequency: 50 Hz
- Voltage: 400/230 V
- Current: 318 A
- rated power: 200 kVA / 160 kW
- Power: 220 kVA / 176 kW
- Generator: KS274H
- Engine: Cummins 6CTAA8.9-G2
- fuel: diesel
- Fuel tank capacity: 500 litres
- weight: 2800 kg
- dimensions: 850 x 1066 x 1800
- Endurance per 1 full tank: approx. 8 hours (at full load), at our current power it will last several days
