A Hybrid AC and DC Distribution Architecture in Data Centers

DC distribution is emerging as a solution for data centers, however the optimal system architectures have not been established in the industry. This paper first reviews the most recent studies, products and activities of DC distribution in data centers. A hybrid AC and DC distribution architecture is introduced by using both 415V AC and 380V DC together to achieve the data center reliability requirements. The hybrid architecture is quantitatively compared with five state-of-the-art AC and DC architectures in terms of efficiencies, reliabilities and cost. The evaluations are based on the most recent AC and DC distribution component data of efficiency, reliability and cost, meanwhile taking into account the entire power distribution path from Medium Voltage (MV) AC input to server 12V DC. The evaluation shows the hybrid architecture uses fewer power conversion components to achieve the same equivalent reliability requirements of data center system, which results in significant reliability and cost benefits in a data center case study.