Compare three ways to power the racks ↓
The Electrical Efficiency Challenge
The cost of electricity is the primary determination of where a Data Center is located, and electricity consumption is the primary operating cost for a Data Center. The electric power arrives at the Data Center as either AC or DC at various voltages and it goes through various conversions back and forth from AC to DC several times. There is an efficiency loss with every AC/DC and DC/AC conversion. Recently the Data Centers have been desiring to use more DC at room temperature inside the Data Center for increased electrical efficiency.
High-Efficiency Cryo-Cables
Replacing existing technology with cryo-cables powered by superconductors or cryo-conductors would offer the potential to increase the electrical efficiency of the Data Center more than room temperature DC copper bus bars. The payback for using cryo-cables for saving electricity can be just a few years.
Network Optimization and Reliability
Operation of the Data Center power network could be further optimized with the installation of superconducting fault current limiters and superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES), which is a new form of Uninterruptible Power Source (UPS), to maximize reliability with the lowest electricity consumption.
How it works
Fewer conversions, less heat
Power reaching a data centre is converted between AC and DC several times, and every conversion loses some as heat. Moving to DC removes conversions. Carrying that DC on a superconducting cryo-cable removes most of the heat in the cable itself, and superconducting fault current limiters and SMES add protection on the same network.
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