Testing Critical Power System Design

Testing is the most important part of system implementation, and it starts with a demonstration at the manufacturer’s factory. Ideally, this testing would apply to all of the equipment in the critical power system and not just the uninterruptible power supply – including the cooling system, batteries, switchgear, and distribution system equipment.

 

At the manufacturer’s facility, you can familiarize your team with the equipment and verify it meets your specifications – consider it a test drive. This is the first training opportunity for the equipment you will be implementing. Your team should use this time to review the specifications and requirements. Your chosen contractor should also attend the factory testing to confirm installation details and instructions. 

 

 

Factory witness testing is highly recommended as:

 

1. You confirm the operating characteristics defined by the specification for the equipment. These performance specifications were originally provided to ensure the operation UPS and its performance with the up and downstream equipment. Factory testing in a controlled environment will confirm specifications and log them for future reference.
2. You can start to build your own performance history log for the equipment. Having good factory test data to use as a benchmark will expedite field issue resolutions in the future. This should include system settings, software versions, and test results.
3. Testing is the best time to become familiar with the equipment. It is your chance to understand the system and its controls in a controlled environment. This is also a perfect time to learn how to operate the equipment in the company of the factory engineers and ask questions.

Test, Startup, Test

After installation, a factory-authorized technician should perform a startup of the system to confirm it has been installed properly and is ready to be tested at your facility. Startup provides a third data collection point and a third opportunity for equipment training.

 

After startup, a large portion of the factory testing should be repeated onsite (commissioning) so data from the controlled environment can be compared to data from your real-world application. Commissioning additionally provides a fourth data collection point and the fourth training opportunity for your system operators.

 

Finally, for the first time, you should test your entire critical power system design together. All the data you collected, training you completed, and hard work you put in come together in this final test, and generally this stage is where you find your problems. Confirm the UPS works with the generator, the grounding system is installed properly, and the breakers in your distribution system have been coordinated properly. This final test represents the fifth data collection point and the fifth training opportunity for your system operators.

Establish a Maintenance Schedule

After you have turned the data center over to the IT department, implement the recommended maintenance plan and parts replacement schedule. All of the hard work in designing and testing your data center can be quickly disrupted without proper maintenance. Maintenance and records of equipment history only increase the reliability of the system. Performing proper maintenance on your critical power system can:

 

• Provide a historical trend to predict equipment end of life
• Identify equipment or parts that are not performing as desired before they become a major issue in your power system
• Handle routine, manufacturer-recommended parts replacement during routine maintenance
• Track changes to the system over time
• Provide documentation and validation for any warranty claims

Your highly-trained operators can perform day-to-day equipment operations; however, all maintenance should be performed by a factory-authorized service technician.