Archive for the ‘Facility Maintenance’ Category
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Infrared Thermography Testing
Electrical system failures, whether they involve a single branch circuit or a major switchgear component, can be very costly. Titan Power’s Infrared Thermography Testing can identify the problems caused by poor electrical connections and defective equipment before they progress to catastrophic failure.
What Can Infrared Thermography Do For You?
Infrared Thermography has emerged as a powerful, versatile and accurate diagnostic tool used to uncover excessive heat loss in systems or materials. It is a non-contact; non-destructive means of testing that identifies and documents abnormally warm or cool connectors, conductors, or components that may be a potential problem in electrical systems. Many dangerous conditions cannot be seen by the human eye, infrared thermography testing can find potential electrical system trouble spots before they become disastrous. Analysis of the collected data will help you detect problems before they become serious and costly issues.
How Does It Work?
Titan Power utilizes an infrared imaging system with powerful software designed to provide a fast and effective means of identifying potential problems in electrical and mechanical equipment, refractory and insulation materials. This information is compiled into a comprehensive report using easily interpreted text with the infrared image and a visible light reference. From the test report, preventive or corrective repairs can then be scheduled on a priority basis.
Equipment that can be inspected with Infrared Thermography include:
- Category III Transformers
- Relay Panels
- Fuse Disconnects
- Circuit Breakers
- Electrical Switchgear
- Fans for Bearing Degradation
- AC & DC Capacitor Banks
- Harmonic Filters for Capacitor Degradation
- Batteries to Detect Thermal Runaway
Infrared Testing of your electrical systems not only provides peace of mind, but also allows the flexibility to be proactive rather than reactive in your risk management practices. Contact us to learn more about Titan Power’s Infrared Thermography Testing Service.
1-800-509-6170
Tags: Crytical Systems, Customers, Data Center, Emergency Power Systems, Mission Critical, Technology Industry, Titan Power, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS, UPS Batteries, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Customers, Facility Maintenance, Technology Industry, Uninterruptible Power Supply | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Mission Critical Magazine recently published an article titled Preventative Maintenance in “Down Times”. As a maintenance service provider, we found this article to be particularly interesting and informative so we thought we’d pass it on.
Below is a summary or click here for entire article.
The current economic situation has many companies tightening their budgets for new equipment. As a result, data center managers should put greater focus on maintaining their current assets through a PM program. Taking this approach can greatly reduce the need to repair or replace important components.
Benefits of a PM Program
When correctly implemented, PM visits ensure maximum reliability of data center equipment by providing systematic inspections, detection and correction of incipient failures, either before they occur or before they develop into major defects that could translate into costly downtime.
Begin with the UPS
To keep running through power outages, utility spikes, and other unforeseeable power issues, critical systems depend on the reliability of the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) system. Therefore, keeping these systems in working condition is crucial.
Frequency of PM
Small UPS devices should be inspected annually to ensure alarms, filtering, and internal batteries are all operating within specifications. For medium and large systems, vendors often recommend that inspections and maintenance take place at least twice a year to ensure proper function and operation within the manufacturers specifications.
The Batteries
Battery maintenance begins with installation. Batteries must be fully charged, battery room conditions verified, and baseline readings set for proper trend analysis throughout the life of the battery. Battery aging accelerates dramatically as ambient temperature increases.
Professional PM
UPS systems and batteries operate at high voltage and only qualified personnel should attempt preventative maintenance or repair. End users can provide preventative support such as replacing air filters when dirty, ensuring environmental specifications are met and maintained, and monitoring UPS for alarms.
In summary, the article pointed out that organizations benefit from frequent and consistant Preventative Maintenance. Preventative Maintenance programs should be in place despite current market conditions. The business case for this is stronger now than ever before.
Tags: Crytical Systems, Customers, Data Center, Emergency Power Systems, Mission Critical, Technology Industry, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS, UPS Batteries, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Customers, Facility Maintenance, Mission Critical Industry, Technology Industry, Uninterruptible Power Supply | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Recently, Mission Critical Magazine published an article titled Ten Things You Want in Your Data Center. The article broke down into two subsections: five things an IT administrator should NOT do and five things ALL IT staff should know. Below is a summary:
Five Things an IT Administrator Should NOT Do
- Bring liquids into the data center (cans or bottles). Liquids not intended to be in the data center can obviously damage equipment, but even unopened cans and bottles can cause problems as well.
- Attempt to solve problems with a floor tile puller. Problems arise when the IT staff doesn’t understand that pressurization and airflow of a raised floor “system” is vital to maintaining the temperature and integrity of the cooling system.
- Place a fan in the hot aisle. Placing a fan in this aisle will mix the air and create inefficiencies in the cooling and airflow, which impacts the entire system.
- Plug things into the extra outlets on a Rack PDU (extra outlets do not mean extra capacity). “More downtime can be attributed to someone opening the wrong breaker or plugging something into the wrong outlet than any other human activity in the data center.”
- Try to figure things out on your own. The data center is a system, and all the subsystems must be coordinated for proper execution of any project, small or large.
Five Things ALL IT Staff Should Know
- Data Centers are Engineered Assets. Changes can significantly affect performance of the equipment or airflow.
- Ohm’s Law: E=I x R (the interrelationship of voltage, resistance and amperage). Understanding this relationship can make even the most vexing power issues easier to understand.
- How power makes it from the pole to the rack. If IT understood what happens to the power coming into the building – where it is distributed, what voltage it is as it makes its way to the UPS, PDU and rack – the conversation around growing data center capacity would be easier.
- Where your energy is goes. Ask your facilities manager. The reason why some IT personnel take things into their own hands vary; lack of resources or limited relationship with the facilities team are often problems.
- You can get killed in here! The number of very dangerous systems in an average data center and mechanical room must be acknowledged.
Mission Critical is the fastest-growing journal providing information to data center and emergency backup power professionals. The magazine and Web site provide practical solutions to all issues facing the data center designer, manager, owner and operator.
Click here for entire article.
Visit Mission Critical’s website.
Tags: Crytical Systems, Data Center, Emergency Power Systems, Mission Critical, Technology Industry, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS, UPS Batteries, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Customers, Facility Maintenance, Mission Critical Industry, Uncategorized, Uninterruptible Power Supply | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Eaton Corporation has recently published an Annual Report, which shows the Blackouts and Power Outages that occurred in 2009.
Power outages and blackouts have caused significant problems for people and businesses across the nation, from vast power outages to the smaller momentary interruptions. Statistics report that 70% of all power outages are caused by weather, while 30% are due to animals contacting wires, auto accidents, utility maintenance and human error.
Eaton started collecting data on January 1, 2009 from the following sources: news services, newspapers, websites (including those of newspapers and TV stations) and personal accounts.
In addition to the Annual Report, Eaton has also created a new “Blackout Tracker”, which gives you the ability to explore power outage causes and impacts for your state or region. This tool also gives you an accurate estimate of the amount of power outages one can expect to encounter in 2010.
http://powerquality.eaton.com/blackouttracker/BlackoutTrackerAnnualReport2009.pdf
- Eaton’s New “Blackout Tracker”:
http://powerquality.eaton.com/blackouttracker/default.asp?utm_campaign=blackouttracker&utm_medium=redirect&utm_source=eaton&wtredirect=www.eaton.com/blackouttracker
Tags: Crytical Systems, Data Center, Eaton, Emergency Power Systems, Mission Critical, Powerware, Technology Industry, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS, UPS Batteries, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Facility Maintenance, Mission Critical Industry, Technology Industry, Uninterruptible Power Supply | 2 Comments »
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Did you know…
- Battery failure is the number one cause of UPS load loss and system downtime.
- The single most critical element of UPS performance is battery quality.
- All it takes is one bad battery in a string to bring your systems down during a power outage or other interruption.
Battery performance varies greatly from one manufacturer to another. Making the wrong decision on batteries can have a serious impact on UPS uptime reliability, causing potentially devastating consequences from power interruptions
1. Is the UPS battery manufacturer qualified by the UPS manufacturers? All major UPS manufacturers have qualified battery manufacturers they use for their UPS systems. As a result, companies like Eaton/Powerware and Liebert/Emerson will only use those types of batteries in their equipment.
Below is a list of some major UPS Manufacturers and the related battery manufacturers they qualified:
- Eaton/Powerware – C&D, Powerware, Deka
- GE Digital Energy – C&D, Power Battery, GNB
- Liebert/Emerson – C&D, Enersys, Yuasa, GNB
- Toshiba – Power Battery
2. Are you getting a multi-year warranty on new battery purchases? Some suppliers or vendors will sell a lower cost battery with a one-year warranty. This is fine but be aware that inexpensive batteries with only a one-year warranty typically means a poorer quality battery. Be prepared to replace these batteries every 1 to 2 years. Batteries with a three-year warranty are going to be a superior battery with a longer lifespan, generally requiring a replacement only every 3 to 5 years.
3. Is the warranty from the battery manufacturer or the supplier/vendor? What happens if the warranty is backed by the supplier or vendor and not the manufacturer? You may have difficulties getting a prompt replacement in the event that a warranty battery goes bad.
4. Are the batteries U.L. listed/approved/compliant? U.L. stands for Underwriters Laboratory, which is the trusted resource across the globe for product safety certification and compliance solutions. From manufacturers and consumers to regulatory bodies and code officials, the U.L.have tested products for public safety for more than a century.
5. Are the batteries new or used/refurbished? New batteries should have a Date Code of less than six months from the date you receive them. Used or refurbished means you’re getting somebody else’s old, used batteries.
With a used battery you don’t know what the battery’s manufacturing date is or how it has been treated by previous owners. Was it run hot and/or frequently discharged? Used batteries will not provide you with reliable performance and their lifetime is not guaranteed.
6. Are the old batteries being disposed of properly by your battery supplier/vendor? Most batteries are considered to be a hazardous waste because of the lead and acid within the battery. The Universal Waste regulations (March 11, 1995) affected batteries as a hazardous waste and are to be disposed of and recycled properly according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
Tags: Uninterruptible Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS, UPS Batteries, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Facility Maintenance, Uninterruptible Power Supply | 11 Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Titan Power is proud to announce that we now offer TrendPoint products. TrendPoint products manage your energy and carbon metrics, while providing easy-to-use solutions for remote data center monitoring. Through its web based products, TrendPoint offers solutions for monitoring sites, both large and small, whether you have one site or hundreds. TrendPoint’s product line includes the following:
TrendPoint One- provides information to users in regards to Energy, Carbon, Cooling and Heat.
EnerSure – lets you track your power metrics at the circuit level.
EnviroCube – gives you complete understanding of your data room’s environmental metrics. Temp, humidity, pressure, etc.
Link to TrendPoint: http://www.titanpower.com/trendpoint.asp
Tags: carbon metrics, Energy metrics, Enersure, Envirocube, Trendpoint, Trendpoint one
Posted in Facility Maintenance, New Products, Partnerships | 25 Comments »
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Andy Berney, President and Director of Operation for Titan Power, gave an overview training session to one of Titan Power’s valued customers, Wild Horse Pass Resort & Casino last week. Andy conducted this training along with Senior Service Technician, Thomas Rutledge, on how to properly operate a Liebert AP610, 750kVA Parallel UPS System.
Andy and Thomas provided this overview to the Facility Maintenance Personnel and reviewed the maintenance procedures and protocol so they had a better understanding of equipment. The entire training session was recoded by a camera crew and will be used for an on-site training resource for Wild Horse Pass Resort & Casino employees.
The training video will be posted shortly….
Tags: Liebert, Titan Power, Uninterruptible Power Supply, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Company Misc., Customers, Employee News, Facility Maintenance | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Bill McCluskey, Titan Power’s Critical Systems Engineer & Senior Project Manager, has been invited to participate on Banner Health’s Construction Committee. Supported by Banner’s Network Integrator Group, the Construction Committee researches and designs infrastructure support systems for the critical environment of new expansion medical centers. Its goal is to ensure safer and more reliable care to Banner patients, by implementing and installing the most leading edge technology in their critical technology environments.
As part of the committee, Bill will act as a Consultant in the area of emergency power systems. “The focus is to consolidate efforts to configure a scope with specific characteristics of what is appropriate for the capacity of each facility now and in the future.”
Bill’s contribution will be to ensure that engineering of these systems meet industry standards and include the most state of the art, up to date technology. Titan Power and Bill McCluskey is proud to participate with Banner Health in pursuing growth opportunities and serving the Arizona Community.
Tags: Arizona, Construction, Consulting, Crytical Systems, Emergency Power Systems, Project Management
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Company Misc., Construction Industry, Customers, Employee News, Facility Maintenance | 13 Comments »
Thursday, April 26th, 2007
This award was granted by the Arizona State Department of Administration Purchasing Office.
Tags: Eaton, Liebert, Powerware, Uninterruptible Power Systems, UPS Systems
Posted in Back-up Power Industry, Company Misc., Facility Maintenance | 3 Comments »
