Datacenter container need 1200 amps

[desaosi0]

Going out on a limb here. Im designing a power distribution system for a server room located a shipping container. We need 1200amps. We need to power servers, fans, and some lighting. Need help designing something efficient.

Cost wise, I'm thinking about going 120/240.
I could get 8 (120amp?) columns of servers, 15 servers per column (15amp each)

Thinking about a square-d i-line 1200amp. MLB. Im not sure how to go about the distribution past the panel board to feed the 120 singe duplex outlets.

Meter outside, with panelboard back to back.
Could do 208/480 if it made sense.

Looking for some guidance. Thank you

 

[zbang]

There's a lot missing here.
What power can the servers can take? If you can, run the servers on 208 or 240v.
what the planned/available supply? 1200 amps (is that at 120 or at 240?) is a lot of single phase power.

I'm also suspicious of the numbers- a single rack could contain 35-40 server chassis and possibly fill two 30a 208v 3-ph PDUs.

What's going to get rid of all the heat?

 

[JoeStillman]

The biggest containers are 40ft x 8ft. That's 320ft². 1200A @ 240V is 288 kVA. 288,000/320=900VA/ft², and we haven't even looked at 3Ø yet. My rule of thumb goes up to 200VA/ft² for a real-world data center load.

Just because a server has a 15A plug on it doesn't mean it draws 15A.

 

[jaggedben]

The biggest containers are 40ft x 8ft. ...

There are bigger ones but that's the most common size.

 

[JoeStillman]

There are bigger ones but that's the most common size.

What's the biggest one you've seen? Was it fitted out as a habitable space?

 

[augie47]

With that type load it would be advisable to check with your POCO to see what is available in addition to see the exact load requirements.

 

[jaggedben]

What's the biggest one you've seen? Was it fitted out as a habitable space?

The biggest are 53ft by 102" wide. But those are for domestic intermodal shipping, and probably not very available on the open market for a project like the OP imagines.

45ft by 8ft (by 9.5ft tall) is a standard ocean going size, but again less common than 40ft.

There are also two common heights of 40ft, 8ft and 9.5ft ("hi-cube").

(All exterior dimensions.)

 

[tortuga]

Going out on a limb here. Im designing a power distribution system for a server room located a shipping container. We need 1200amps. We need to power servers, fans, and some lighting. Need help designing something efficient.

We'll just set the loac calc aside and say you really do need 1200A of single phase 240 (288kVA) (300kva bank).
Here are 4 things I know about data centers:
1) They don't use 277 and wont even consider 480.
2) The servers PSU's are designed to run on 240V this can be L-N or L-L
3) 208 is acceptable as is 120V
4) If you have a 48V telcom PSU keep in mind the positive is grounded.

The most common systems commonly in use the last 30 years is 208Y/120
to serve the load at 208y/120 you would need a 800A service.

An emerging trend in the US is 416y/240, mostly large data centers get a larger service like 4160v and use their own transformers.
to serve the load at 416y/240 you could have a 400A service using a standard 480V panel & breakers, the servers would be connected 240V L-N.

My go to but is far less common is 240 Delta
to serve the load at 240/120 delta you would have a 700A service, the servers would be connected 240V L-L on 3 wire MWBC's.
You can have slightly more load per circuit.
Another advantage is if the POCO has only two phases and a neutral on the pole you can still get a open delta bank.

 

[JoeStillman]

We'll just set the loac calc aside and say you really do need 1200A of single phase 240 (288kVA) (300kva bank).
Here are 4 things I know about data centers:
1) They don't use 277 and wont even consider 480.
2) The servers PSU's are designed to run on 240V this can be L-N or L-L
3) 208 is acceptable as is 120V
4) If you have a 48V telcom PSU keep in mind the positive is grounded.

The most common systems commonly in use the last 30 years is 208Y/120
to serve the load at 208y/120 you would need a 800A service.

An emerging trend in the US is 416y/240, mostly large data centers get a larger service like 4160v and use their own transformers.
to serve the load at 416y/240 you could have a 400A service using a standard 480V panel & breakers, the servers would be connected 240V L-N.

My go to but is far less common is 240 Delta
to serve the load at 240/120 delta you would have a 700A service, the servers would be connected 240V L-L on 3 wire MWBC's.
You can have slightly more load per circuit.
Another advantage is if the POCO has only two phases and a neutral on the pole you can still get a open delta bank.

Don't forget the UPS.

 

[petersonra]

I agree with some earlier posters that the information you supplied is too sketchy to give you any reasonable advice.

if you really need 1200 A at 120 V, that means you will need to get rid of almost 500,000 BTU/hour of heat. I don't see an air conditioner of that size in your load list.

 

[Todd0x1]

Is this an actual datacenter, or is it crypto mining rigs?

 

[qcroanoke]

Is this an actual datacenter, or is it crypto mining rigs?

We did a few for crypto mining. Didn't take long to get away from that.

 

[Todd0x1]

We did a few for crypto mining. Didn't take long to get away from that.

lol. Those guys are fond of unlisted PDUs with questionable components and wire sizes.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

A contractor friend of mine did a number of installations for crypto mining and they had him take 277 to the equipment designed for 240...said they had no trouble operating that much above rated voltage.

 

[qcroanoke]

A contractor friend of mine did a number of installations for crypto mining and they had him take 277 to the equipment designed for 240...said they had no trouble operating that much above rated voltage.

We're they hardwired?