Guideline on Electrical Power for Adp Installations
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*tm iab as FIPS PUB 94 NBS \f \ RESEARCH M. INFORMATION CENTER ain <t FEDERAL INFORMATION v ./ 6<JffEAU O* PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATION 1983 SEPTEMBER 21 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE/National Bureau of Standards GUIDELINE ON ELECTRICAL POWER FOR ADP INSTALLATIONS CATEGORY: HARDWARE JK——CATEGORY: POWER, GROUNDING, “68 AND LIFE-SAFETY • A8A3 #94 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Malcolm Baldrige, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director Foreword The Federal Information Processing Standards Publication Series of the National Bureau of Standards is the official publication relating to standards adopted and promulgated under the provisions of Public Law 89-306 (Brooks Act) and under Part 6 of Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations. These legislative and executive mandates have given the Secretary of Commerce important responsibilities for improving the utilization and management of computers and automatic data processing in the Federal Government. To carry out the Secretary’s responsibilities, the NBS, through its Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, provides leadership, technical guidance, and coordination of Government efforts in the development of guidelines and standards in these areas. Comments concerning Federal Information Processing Standards Publications are welcomed and should be addressed to the Director, Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC 20234. James H. Burrows, Director Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology Abstract This recommended Guideline for Federal agencies identifies and describes the electrical environment for safe, reliable operation of automatic data processing (ADP) systems The electrical environment in and immediately outside the computer room is considered The Guideline describes the fundamentals which underlie the power, grounding, and life- safety requirements, and provides a guide and checklist for specifying and preparing ADP sites, and evaluating their suitability. An annotated bibliography is provided Key words: computer; electrical power; Federal Information Processing Standards Publication; grounding; isolating transformers; life-safety; lightning protection; motor-generator sets; power conditioning; shielding; signal reference grids; surge arrestors; uninterruptible power source Natl Bur. Stand (U.S.) Fed. Info. Process. Stand. Publ. (FIPS PUB) 94, 98 pages (1983) CODENFIPPAT For sale by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. FIPS PUB 94 Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 94 1983 September 21 ANNOUNCING THE GUIDELINE ON ELECTRICAL POWER FOR ADP INSTALLATIONS Federal Information Processing Standards Publications are issued by the National Bureau of Standards pursuant to section 111 (f)(2) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, Public Law 89-306 (79 Stat. 1127), and as implemented by Executive Order 11717 (38 FR 12315, dated May 11, 1973) and Part 6 of Title 15 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Name of Guideline: Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations (FIPS PUB 94). Category of Guideline: Hardware; Power, Grounding, and Life-Safety. Explanation: This recommended Guideline for Federal agencies identifies and describes the electrical environment for safe, reliable operation of automatic data processing (ADP) systems. The electrical environment in and immediately outside the computer room is considered. The Guideline describes the fundamentals which underlie the power, grounding, and life-safety requirements, and provides a guide and checklist for specifying and preparing ADP sites, and evaluating their suitability. Approving Authority: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards (Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology). Maintenance Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards (Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology). Cross Index: See bibliography. Applicability: This Guideline is intended as a basic reference document for general use by Federal departments and agencies on electrical power, grounding, and life-safety for ADP installations. Its use is encouraged, but is not mandatory. Implementation: The use of this Guideline should be considered whenever ADP sites are to be prepared or evaluated for suitability relative to electrical power, grounding, or life-safety. Specifications: Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 94 (FIPS PUB 94), Guideline on Electrical Power for ADP Installations. Where to Obtain Copies of the Guideline: Copies of this publication are for sale by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. When ordering, refer to Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 94 (FIPS PUB 94) and title. When microfiche is desired, this should be specified. Payment may be made by check, money order, or NTIS Deposit Account. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Contributions have come from many sources, many of which are listed in the annotated bibliography. The University of Wisconsin-Extension has been responsible for organizing and conducting professional “continuing education” seminars on Computer Room Design, Surge Protection of Computers, and Uninterruptible Power Sources. Much of the material presented in this Guideline has been discussed at these seminars. Particular acknowledgment is made of the contributions of J. F. Kalbach, Consultant, and Warren H. Lewis, Computer Power Systems Corporation, for many of the examples and illustrations presented at these seminars and used in this Guideline. This document was reviewed by computer site planning engineers of several Government agencies and by the Power Interface Subcommittee, ESC-SC3, of the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association. 1 FIPS PUB 94 Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 94 ,G* * S0 1983 September 21 ^, Specifications for GUIDELINE ON ELECTRICAL POWER FOR ADP INSTALLATIONS Contents Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 5 1. INTRODUCTION. 7 1.1 Importance of the Electrical Environment. 7 1.2 Power Conditioning Apparatus. 8 1.3 Evolutionary Trends in ADP Hardware and Its Power Sources. 9 2. ADP POWER REQUIREMENTS VS POWER SOURCE CHARACTERISTICS. 12 2.1 The Power Profile of an ADP System Electrical Load. 12 2.2 Characteristics of Available Power. 16 2.3 Matching ADP Requirements to Power Source Characteristics. 22 2.4 Minimizing Electrical Disturbances. 26 3. GROUNDING. 29 3.1 Purposes of Grounding. 29 3.2 Techniques of Grounding. 32 3.3 High-Frequency Effects on Grounding Conductors. 43 4. POWER CONDITIONERS: WHAT THEY DO; WHEN AND WHERE TO USE THEM 52 4.1 Filters. 52 4.2 Line Voltage Regulators. 53 4.3 Isolating Transformers. 57 4.4 Motor-Generator Sets. 59 4.5 Surge Arrestors. 61 4.6 Power Factor Correction. 63 4.7 Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS). 63 4.8 Redundant UPS Systems. 69 4.9 Redundant Power Feeders. 70 5. LIFE-SAFETY. 73 5.1 Life-Safety Systems. 73 5.2 Coordination of Life-Safety and ADP Functions. 76 6. CONTROL OF STATIC ELECTRICITY AT THE ADP SITE. 81 6.1 Humidity Control. 81 6.2 Conductivity of Floor Surfaces. 81 6.3 Static Drain Paths. 82 6.4 Carpeting with Low Propensity to Static Electricity. 83 6.5 Furniture and Upholstery. 83 6.6 Shoes and Clothing. 83 6.7 Ion Generators. 83 6.8 Desensitizing Electronic Circuits. 84 7. LIGHTNING PROTECTION. 85 7.1 Primary Protection Belongs Outside the Computer Room. 86 7.2 Residual Surge Protection in Power and Communication Lines. 86 7.3 Protective Device Locations. 88 7.4 Unwanted Paths for Surge Entry into the Computer Room. 88 3 FIPS PUB 94 Page 8. APPENDIX. 89 8.1 Electrical Attributes of the Environment. Table I. 89 8.2 Some Representative Power Quality Attributes. Table II. 90 8.3 Checklist of Considerations for Suitable ADP Power and Grounding. 91 8.4 Annotated Bibliography. 97 4 FIPS PUB 94 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Guideline describes means for resolving typical electric power and related grounding problems frequently encountered with the installation and operation of large- and medium-scale automatic data processing (ADP) systems. In addition to power continuity, power quality, and proper electrical grounding, ADP systems are susceptible to malfunctions created by power source aberrations, environmentally induced disturbances, and electrical noise. The severity and frequency of occurrence of these problems can vary greatly from one ADP installation to another, just as ADP hardware susceptibility to power problems varies among the products of different ADP manufacturers. Surveys may show significant differences in power quality among nearby sites—even within the same building. The reasons for these differences are not always clear. Often, however, they can be determined by studying disturbance records and analyzing power source and circuit loading configurations. Grounding techniques can also create or solve performance problems. In general, there is no “average” power or grounding problem; there is no universal solution. The issues can be highly technical, requiring specialized knowledge for resolution, and are often outside the training and experience of most ADP managers and many ADP field service engineers. The ADP manager is often responsible for taking corrective action to ensure reliable ADP operations. Such action may initially involve working with engineering personnel from the electric utility and telephone company, building superintendent’s engineers, and ADP maintenance personnel. This may result in decisions