Power Distribution Unit: Automated Power Conservation Application

Your battery plants are your backup power supply when commercial power fails at remote sites. They're a critical component of your network. If the commercial power goes out, the backup batteries come on to keep your critical equipment running. But what happens if your batteries deplete before commercial power is back on?

You need the life span of your batteries to be as long as possible. Draining them completely not only shuts down your site, but also significantly reduces the total lifespan of that battery. Low voltage can even damage some equipment.

Therefore, it is critical to monitor the current charge level in your batteries. When necessary, you must also reduce the load on them to extend their run time. So how do you extend the discharge time of your batteries?

• Backup to your backup:
  You may also have a backup generator in case your batteries fail. This is a great idea, but generators require fuel to operate. Similar to the previous option, you don't want to have to send a tech out to a site just to refuel your generators every few hours.
• Alarms
  Alarms on RTUs are a great thing to have to monitor your equipment and to know when something is wrong. You could use an alarm to monitor the battery charge level. But that only solves one half of the problem. It's not enough to know that there is a problem. You have to be able to quickly fix the problem as well. While alarms are great for notifying you or your techs that the battery charge is low, alarms can't do anything to fix the situation. This means that you have to constantly have someone ready to receive an alarm and react.
• Power Distribution Units (PDUs):
  A PDU is a device that allows you to remotely cut power to your devices, individually, from your central or home office. When you're using battery power, you can remotely turn off less-critical devices to reduce load on your batteries - conserving more power for mission-critical gear. While PDUs are extremely helpful for power cycling your equipment, they are mostly manual rather than automatic. This means that you actually have to click buttons in an interface, which requires human involvement. Plus, there are typically no analogs on a PDU to notify you of the battery life remaining.

A smart PDU can automatically reduce your battery load when voltage drops.

To really extend the charge of your batteries during an outage, you need a device that will systematically and automatically shut down less crucial devices when your batteries hit a critical low. While a PDU is a step in the right direction, it must also include automated, intelligent decision making.

Imagine a system with a PDU-like device with RTU functionality to monitor battery voltage. This system will keep track of battery voltage natively. It will be able to automatically power down devices at key critical battery thresholds based on predetermined settings. This system will lighten the load on your whole team by automating several processes that previously required human involvement. You're getting near-perfect performance while actually cutting your workload.

With a Remote Power Switch (RPS) from DPS Telecom, this is a possibility. The RPS combines PDU power-cycling with RTU functionality to provide a solution to battery power draining. Using analogs to measure battery voltage and Automated Power Conservation Technology, the RPS can monitor battery voltage to systematically determine when to power down your less critical devices. This helps extend the charge on the battery to ensure that your most mission-critical equipment stays running for the duration of the outage. The RPS (Remote Power Switch) comes in three different models and also has several build options to make sure you get exactly what you need for your perfect-fit solution.

• RPS AC:
  This RPS features AC inputs so you can plug in a wide variety of equipment. It also has a built-in D-Wire Sensor port to monitor an external sensor and its SNMP compatible. The RTU build of this model features 16 discretes, 4 analogs and 2 controls.
• RPS DC:
  With the RPS DC, you can switch 12V, 24V, or 48V devices, all on one unit. Plus, it can support different polarities on each port, giving you the flexibility you need to monitor and power-cycle all of your equipment. The RTU build also features 16 discretes, 4 analogs and 2 controls.
• RPS AB6:
  The AB6 is a special build of the DC that features A&B source feed voltage monitoring. The unit has convenient front-panel fuses, and dual input breakers, with LEDs to indicate when the power to a device is off or a fuse is blown.

Who can I call to discuss my project?

Not all of your equipment is equal. Extend battery discharge time by intelligently powering down some devices when your batteries run low. Call 1-800-693-0351 to find out more about the RPS line from DPS Telecom.