Intelligent PDUs with RCM Type B patented self-test function

According to Michael Suchoff, Chief Engineer and Inventor of the self-test patent for Raritan: “We wanted to simplify the way users deploy Residual Current Monitoring at the rack level by making it easier to test and maintain the circuitry, and ultimately comply with electrical standards. Adding RCM to the Rack PDUs is the most efficient way to manage potential leakage current risks from the IT equipment” added Suchoff.

Data centre inspections
Not surprisingly, some European countries such as Germany, and France have made periodic inspection of data centres compulsory to protect its workers and facilities, according to Raritan.

The expectation in the IT industry would be that across Europe and beyond, an increasing number of countries will follow RCM standards to monitor Residual Current in data centres to improve efficiency, better protect workers, IT equipment, and ultimately avoid electrocution and fires.

In parallel to RCM, European data centre standards such as EN 50600 are also defining the need for neutral current monitoring. EN 50600 8.2.1 defines the need for neutral current monitoring as a mean to prevent overloading and overheating of the neutral wire.

According to Nicolas Sagnes, Global Product Marketing for Raritan: “It’s our continuous mission to launch products that improve efficiency and uptime, whilst lowering operational cost in the data centre.”

“With this philosophy in mind, our engineers designed 3 types of RCM sensors as well as a neutral conductor monitoring solution to provide our customer with a more reliable infrastructure, and keep the data centre a safe working environment,” Sagnes continued.

All Raritan’s PX PDUs with the highly accurate RCM sensor embedded enable users in data centre environments to set configurable RCM thresholds for optimal efficiency and early detection of critical conditions. Alerts can be configured through Xerus firmware and be sent to a dedicated maintenance contact for quick intervention through email, SMS, and SNMP traps.

The types of residual current monitoring that Raritan now offers on its power products with RCM option are:

• RCM Type A - detecting AC and pulsating DC leakage
• RCM Type B single channel - detecting both AC and DC leakage for all lines
• RCM Type B three channel - detecting both AC and DC leakage on each line  

A new whitepaper titled 'Residual Current and Neutral Monitoring in the Data Centre' gives a detailed insight as to why data centre managers should seriously consider deploying residual current monitoring, the different types of RCM, and neutral current metering. This whitepaper can be downloaded on the website.