MONTH IN FM
FMJ.CO.UK
PROTECTING CRITICAL RESEARCH
EQUIPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF WARWICK
The University of Warwick’s (UoW) new
APRIL 2022 55
Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Building (IBRB) brings together 300 biomedical
researchers from across the School of Life
Sciences and Warwick Medical School to fight
human diseases.
The new IBRB builds on UoW’s existing worldclass
research in neuroscience, microbiology
and infection, cell biology, and disease models,
supporting and facilitating interdisciplinary
biomedical research of the highest quality.
Representing an investment of over £50m, the
IBRB provides the two schools with a world-class
environment in which to train future generations of
biomedical researchers.
In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a
Kohler PowerWAVE 8000DPA 100kVA was installed
in the IBRB’s new services room located in the
basement. This new UPS system was commissioned
to support a network of critical power outlets
throughout the building. These are used for
designated equipment that must continuously
function throughout a power disturbance, including
analytical and monitoring systems that form part
of critical experimental equipment. Based on the
initial load, a 100kVA system was selected with
20-minutes battery autonomy, an external bypass
switch, cable box for top entry cabling plus site load
bank testing to confirm everything was working and
delivering what it should.
If the protected equipment were exposed to a
power failure, it would result in months of research
being lost, key results invalidated, and crucial
samples destroyed. Ultimately, this would lead to
a significant delay in the research of diseases for
the general public. With the designated KUP system
in place however, power dips will not result in
equipment resets, and any spikes will be prevented
from reaching and damaging sensitive components.
If the power fails completely, the battery backup
system will immediately begin supplying power
until the mains power is restored or the onsite
standby generator comes online. Featuring energy
eˆ iciency of up to 95.5%, low THDi and a near unity
power factor the PowerWAVE 8000DPA UPS system
does this whilst minimising environmental impact
and ensuring a low cost of ownership.
Paul Holland, Electrical Design Engineer,
University of Warwick, comments: “We set out to
find a reliable partner that was able to demonstrate
innovative, low energy and low maintenance
solutions with a commitment to sustainability. The
Kohler PowerWAVE 8000DPA system was chosen
because of its superb energy eˆ iciency, allowing
us to keep running costs low. The small footprint
and an innovative, fully modular design improve
resilience compared to standalone UPS systems by
removing single points of failure. The design also
enables 100 kVA to be installed now and another
80kVA to be installed later in 20 kVA steps – this
both future-proofs the building and further reduces
running costs compared to buying and running a
180 kVA unit right from the outset.”
Nigel Harrington, Power Protection Specialist
at KUP continues the story. “Whilst lithium-ion
batteries were considered, their cost and the lack
of recycling infrastructure meant VRLA (valve
regulated lead-acid) batteries were chosen. VRLA
batteries are around a third of the cost and with
a well-established recycling infrastructure – they
are 98% recyclable. The batteries are housed in
robust racks, a solution that combines the best
protection for safety, access for maintenance, and
ventilation to avoid heat reducing their lifetime.
As is good practice, the UPS room is fitted with
an air conditioning unit to control temperature.
By keeping the batteries at the right temperature,
the lifetime costs are also reduced. In terms of
monitoring, the maintenance friendly new system
communicates with the IBRB Building Management
System, allowing the Estates Team to monitor the
system and have full peace of mind.
“Whilst the system is covered by a KUP
maintenance agreement that should avoid any
unforeseen issues, the monitoring system will also
provide useful information if a problem does occur.
The open protocol nature of the system allows
integration with third party systems, in line with the
University’s smart buildings strategy, and will allow
an engineer to arrive informed and if necessary,
with suitable spares to resolve any issues swiœ ly.
This is one of the ways that KUP’s Field Service
Team achieves a first visit fix-rate of over 90% and
the company is ranked so highly when we analyse
our monthly customer satisfaction surveys and
feedback.”
To conclude, the new Kohler PowerWAVE 8000DPA
system, coupled with KUP’s support, provides an
eˆ icient, dependable, and innovative solution as
expected by the University of Warwick Estates Team
and will be there to support the critical research
being undertaken whenever power disturbances
threaten to interrupt it.
www.kohler-ups.co.uk
/www.kohler-ups.co.uk
