Data-center facilities of all sizes rely on a steady, reliable, and well-maintained electrical power system. Even small electrical failures or faults can have devastating consequences, including extensive operational downtime and the expense of locating and repairing damaged equipment. Data center applications put unique demands on cables that transmit the generated power to the power conversion equipment, and through to the step-up and step-down transformer, coupled with grid interconnection switchgear.
Space within the data center floor build-out is at a premium; the area must accommodate conversion and termination equipment, as well as main and auxiliary power resources, such as transformers and an immense variety of control circuits. Cables there must be capable of tight radius bends and sweeps, and carrying the ampacity (ampere capacity) of the prime power resource. For that reason, designers prefer flexible diesel locomotive (DLO) cable in the high-power, tight-fit cabinets from where power cables run within floor and overhead raceways and restricted spaces. It is capable of carrying voltages from 120 Vac through 220 Vac to 480 Vac, and ampacities up to 2,000 A.