How Important is Temperature Rating When Selecting a PDU?

Power distribution units (PDUs) are usually installed in the back of cabinets behind hot air exhaust from equipment, which is potentially the hottest part of every data center. Depending on the expected ΔT from servers ranging from 25°F to 30°F (13°C to 20°C), the heat at the rear of cabinets or hot aisle containment can reach 110°F to 140°F (43°C to 60°C). In this type of environment, there are very few devices that can continuously operate reliably and efficiently.

CPI eConnect® PDUs currently have the highest ambient operating temperature rating of any PDU in the market. eConnect PDUs have been specially designed and tested for continuous operation in ambient air temperatures up to 149°F (65°C) to exceed the anticipated temperatures in a typical contained aisle.

To keep the product safely operational at such high temperatures, strategically placed air vents, a larger power supply, high temperature components and other elements were included in the design. eConnect PDUs comply to safety standards by the International Electrotechnical Commission and are UL Listed.

Additionally, the eConnect’s streamline design minimizes the space it occupies within the cabinet. On units with multiple breakers, the outlets are arranged in an alternating pattern, so you distribute load more evenly as you plug in equipment. For intelligent PDUs, the LCD display is centrally located so that it is easy to read when the PDU is installed. It is possible to access the unit remotely using a web browser for setup, monitoring and control. IP consolidation allows access of up to 20 PDUs through a single Ethernet connection and IP address. Alternately, the PDU supports SNMP so that it can be monitored with third-party monitoring software.

Find out more about power in the data center by reading CPI White Paper, “Selecting Rack-Mount Power Distribution Units For High-Efficiency Data Centers”.

Kim Ream, Marketing Project Manager