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PDU Mass Deployment Made Simple: Introducing uPDU for Global Data Centers

Mar 2024
Data Center Critical Power
A Data Center manager checks the status of the Power Distribution Units located inside the cabinet.

Electricity is one of the essential utilities in a computing environment. And while the physics of electricity (illuminated by greats like Faraday, Edison, and Tesla) is constant, there’s considerable diversity in how power is transmitted and distributed worldwide. 

Take, for example, the deployment of 415 Volt power in North American data centers. In 2023, this isn’t particularly newsworthy. Fifteen years ago, it was novel. Around that time, big data center operators in North America proposed this “international” voltage as an avenue to greater data center efficiency—smaller transformers, fewer losses, and better utilization of power supplies.

Electrical diversity has conditioned us to look at electricity through regional silos. Still today, the prevailing practice is to segment power products according to regional electrical standards and regional conformance bodies like UL & CE. Therefore, any global enterprise likely has unique PDUs for each country/region in which they operate. This leaves a supply chain organization with more to manage—inventory levels, BOMs, configurations—and more opportunity for error.

The Panduit Universal PDU (uPDU) offers an avenue to address PDU deployment challenges. 

Product image of the  Universal Power Distribution Unit (uPDU)

As soon as a cord/plug is hardwired to a PDU, it becomes regional—the opposite of ‘universal’ and the cause of the supply chain complexities mentioned above. The uPDU is deliberately sold absent a cord and plug and instead offers (12) potential choices called facility side cables.

updu-blog-side-image - 1

Consumers will choose the appropriate cable depending on the installation location and capacity required. The two components—PDU and cord—then mate on-site with no required tools. 

Facility Side Cordsets

Part Number

Description

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

Apparent Power (kVA)

Input Voltage (V)

Input Phase

UPDUCRD1

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+N+E 6h 32A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

32A3WYE

"17.3 (NAM)
22.0 (EMEA)"

415

3

UPDUCRD2

UPDU to IEC 60309 2P+E 6h 60A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

"60A1L-L (NAM) 60A1L-N (EMEA)"

10

208

1

UPDUCRD3

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+E 9h 60A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

60A3DLT

17.3

208

3

UPDUCRD4

UPDU to CS8365C 50A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

50A3DLT

14.4

208

3

UPDUCRD5

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+N+E 6h 63A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

"60A3WYE (NAM) 63A3WYE (EMEA)"

"23.0 (NAM)

27.6 (EMEA) BREAKER LIMITED"

415

3

UPDUCRD6

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+N+E 6h 20A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

"20A3WYE (NAM) 16A3WYE (EMEA)"

"11.5 (NAM)

11.0 (EMEA)"

415

3

UPDUCRD7

UPDU to L6-30P 30A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

30A1L-L

5

208

1

UPDUCRD8

UPDU to IEC 60309 2P+E 6h 20A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

"20A1L-L (NAM) 16A1L-N (EMEA)"

"3.3 (NAM)

3.6 (EMEA)"

240

1

UPDUCRD9

UPDU to IEC 60309 2P+E 6h 32A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

"30A1L-L (NAM) 32A1L-N (EMEA)"

"5.0 (NAM)

7.4 (EMEA)"

240

1

UPDUCRD10

UPDU to L21-30P 30A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

30A3WYE

8.6

208

3

UPDUCRD11

UPDU to L15-30P 30A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

30A3DLT

8.6

208

3

UPDUCRD12

UPDU to CS8265C 50A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

50A1L-L

8.3

208

1

UPDUCRD1

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+N+E 6h 32A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

32A3WYE

Apparent Power (kVA)

"17.3 (NAM)
22.0 (EMEA)"

Input Voltage (V)

415

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD2

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 2P+E 6h 60A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

"60A1L-L (NAM) 60A1L-N (EMEA)"

Apparent Power (kVA)

10

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

1

UPDUCRD3

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+E 9h 60A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

60A3DLT

Apparent Power (kVA)

17.3

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD4

Description

UPDU to CS8365C 50A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

50A3DLT

Apparent Power (kVA)

14.4

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD5

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+N+E 6h 63A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

"60A3WYE (NAM) 63A3WYE (EMEA)"

Apparent Power (kVA)

"23.0 (NAM)

27.6 (EMEA) BREAKER LIMITED"

Input Voltage (V)

415

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD6

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 3P+N+E 6h 20A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

"20A3WYE (NAM) 16A3WYE (EMEA)"

Apparent Power (kVA)

"11.5 (NAM)

11.0 (EMEA)"

Input Voltage (V)

415

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD7

Description

UPDU to L6-30P 30A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

30A1L-L

Apparent Power (kVA)

5

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

1

UPDUCRD8

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 2P+E 6h 20A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

"20A1L-L (NAM) 16A1L-N (EMEA)"

Apparent Power (kVA)

"3.3 (NAM)

3.6 (EMEA)"

Input Voltage (V)

240

Input Phase

1

UPDUCRD9

Description

UPDU to IEC 60309 2P+E 6h 32A (IP44), CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

"30A1L-L (NAM) 32A1L-N (EMEA)"

Apparent Power (kVA)

"5.0 (NAM)

7.4 (EMEA)"

Input Voltage (V)

240

Input Phase

1

UPDUCRD10

Description

UPDU to L21-30P 30A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

30A3WYE

Apparent Power (kVA)

8.6

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD11

Description

UPDU to L15-30P 30A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

30A3DLT

Apparent Power (kVA)

8.6

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

3

UPDUCRD12

Description

UPDU to CS8265C 50A, CORD SET, 3M (10FT)

Drop-Down Menu in Web GUI

50A1L-L

Apparent Power (kVA)

8.3

Input Voltage (V)

208

Input Phase

1

* User must select the appropriate drop down from WebGUI menu to achieve stated power metering accuracy.

For a full listing of part numbers including related products, please visit here

The uPDU capacity ranges from 3.3kVA to 27.6 kVA. The internal wiring is sized for the maximum possible current, making it safe to operate at all levels.

 

Use Cases   

Consistency: A user can deploy the same PDU everywhere and stock only the cords needed at each location.

Compliance: Universally compliant PDUs that meet international standards for PDUs[FM3] [RL4]

  • USA & Canada: UL/EN/IEC 62368 PDU
  • Europe - CE/UKCA Approved
  • Australia - RCM Approved
  • Brazil: Approved
  • Chile: Approved
  • Peru: Approved
  • United Arab Emirates (UAE): Approved
  • India: Approved
  • China: Approved
  • Hong Kong: Approved
  • Singapore: Approved

 

Adaptability : A recently acquired company faced changing rack power requirements as it had to move its IT gear into the data center of its new owner—one with a completely different power infrastructure. All the existing PDUs had to be scrapped for new models to accommodate these changes. In the same scenario, the uPDU offered a versatile solution, as it could be repurposed in the new environment simply by swapping the facility side cables, thus addressing the altered rack power demands efficiently.

Sustainability: Sustainability is more important than ever. The previous example speaks to it. Traditional rack PDUs may contribute to e-waste when replaced, and new product packaging and transportation can have environmental impacts. Not only do uPDUs keep PDUs from getting scrapped, but data centers save on the packaging and transportation that new products would require.

Summary

The uPDU is a departure from a conventional PDU—not applicable to all consumers but a difference maker for those who operate globally or who have diverse electrical systems to work within.

To learn more about Panduit Critical Power Solutions offering, please visit here.

Author:

Justin Blumling

Justin Blumling is a Senior Solutions Architect at Panduit. He has over fifteen years of technical and commercial experience within data centers, including electrical, mechanical, cabinets, and DCIM. He supports Panduit’s Intelligent Infrastructure offering, comprised of rack PDUs, UPS, DCIM software, and intelligent sensors.

He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and is a US Department of Energy (DOE) certified Data Center Energy Practitioner – Specialist.