Development and standardization of

higher-voltage direct current power feeding system

Tadatoshi Babasaki Toshimitsu Tanaka Kensuke Murai Yousuke Nozaki
NTT energy and environment systems laboratories
Tokyo, Japan
babasaki.tadatoshi@lab.ntt.co.jp

AbstractWe discuss the advantage of highly efficient and improvements are being made to facilities, such as air
reliable higher-voltage direct current (HVDC) power feeding conditioning and power supply for ICT equipment [3].
systems and the standardization activities for the power interface Higher-voltage DC (HVDC) power-supply technology
conditions in ICT equipment. With the recent spread of Internet improves the supply of power to ICT equipment and also
services, the power consumption of ICT services is increasing
contributes to energy saving in the overall system, including
annually. Many data center servicers want to decrease the power
consumption of ICT equipment, cooling systems, and power aspects such as air conditioning. For these reasons,
feeding systems. HVDC power feeding systems have recently organizations around the world have begun studying the
drawn attention due to their high efficiency and reliability. Such adoption of DC power for data centers, where AC power
systems are more efficient than AC power feeding systems and supply has been the norm.
are as reliable as conventional -48-V DC power feeding systems.
However, the feeding voltage of HVDC systems is DC 380-V,
which is higher and different than the conventional voltage of DC
-48 V. ICT equipment is needed to change the power supply
unit's interface. Therefore, we are actively standardizing the
power interface condition of power supply units in ICT
equipment. The European standards bodies of the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute and International
Telecommunication Union consented to the power interface
conditions this year.

Keywords- HVDC, power feeding system, DC, data-center

I. INTRODUCTION
With the recent spread of fiber-optic services, the resulting
improvement in environments for Internet use has made the
use of high-volume content, such as video, commonplace, and
the overall volume of Internet traffic has increased sharply.
According to a report by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and
Industry (METI) of Japan, the power consumed by
information and communications technology (ICT)
equipment, such as servers and routers, continues to increase
annually. It is expected to exceed five-times the 2006 levels by
2025 and to account for more than 20% of electrical power
generated domestically [1].
Trends and forecasts for the Japan data-center market and
its power consumption are shown in Figure 1. All items show
an annual increase, and yearly power consumption is expected
to exceed 10 billion kWh in FY2015. Power consumption at
data centers installing and operating large amounts of ICT
equipment, such as servers and routers, is already a major
issue [2].
ICT equipment in data centers are being converted to low-
power equipment, utilization rates are being improved through
technologies such as virtualization and cloud computing, and
Fig. 1 Trends and forecast for data centers in Japan
II. HIGHER-VOLTAGE DC POWER FEEDING SYSTEMS
The advantages of DC power feeding systems are shown in
Fig. 2. Compared to AC power, DC power uses fewer
conversion steps from AC to DC and from DC to AC, which
reduces losses in the conversion process, and DC has 5 x 10-7
reliability, more than an order of magnitude better than AC
power [4].
DC -48-V power feeding systems are already in wide use
for communications systems, making maximum use of their
energy-saving and reliability characteristics. Increasing the
voltage to 380 reduces the amount of current required to
supply power, so that power cables can be made thinner and
facilities costs for cabling can be reduced.
An example of the break-down of power consumption in a
data center using an AC power feeding system together with
the expected reductions due to switching to a HVDC system
are shown in Fig. 3. With the AC power feeding system used
in data centers in Japan, the DC/AC conversion at step (2) and supply requirements necessary to provide stable and safe
the AC/DC conversion at step (3) would not be needed with power have been studied and regulated, including power-
DC power, so losses due to conversion could be reduced. In supply interface, functional, and wiring and grounding
turn, the heat generated by ICT equipment and power feeding requirements.
systems and the accompanying power consumption would also
be reduced, so effective overall consumption is expected to be
reduced by 15% or more [2].

Fig. 4 Configuration of HVDC power feeding system

Fig. 2 Advantage of HVDC power feeding systems

Fig. 5 HVDC power feeding system

Fig. 3 Power consumption breakdown for data center IV. SYSTEM TESTING
III. DEVELOPMENT OF HVDC POWER FEEDING SYSTEM Since FY2008, the NTT Group has conducted repeated
practical tests on safety and other factors, including basic
The architecture and external views of the HVDC
power supply operation and long-term operating
power feeding system being developed by the NTT Group are
characteristics, at demonstration sites within Tokyo. We have
shown in Figs. 4 and 5, respectively. The architecture is
been testing the HVDC power feeding system in one of NTT
similar to a conventional DC -48-V system. The HVDC
Easts buildings since October 2010. We test energy efficiency,
system is composed of a rectifier, batteries, a power
power stability, and safety of the system. We found that the
distribution cabinet (PDC), and ICT equipment. The system is
HVDC system is 5.8% more efficient than the current AC
rated for 100 kW output at DC 380 V. It takes commercial AC
system. According to the simulation results, including the
power, rectifies and converts to DC 380 V, which is used to
effect of air conditioning, the HVDC system reduced the total
float-charge batteries and supply power to the DC power
power consumption by 15%. This demonstration test was
distribution equipment, which distributes it to the ICT
entrusted by The Ministry of Internal Affairs and
equipment. The power distribution equipment also has internal
Communications of Japan. We presented the experimental
capacitors that stabilize the power feeding system, suppressing
results to ITU-T as contributions [3]-[6]. We have also been
faults such as oscillations, as well as fuses that immediately
using the HVDC feeding system to supply our laboratories
disconnect ICT devices in the unlikely case that there is a
server system from March 2011. Figure 6 shows our
fault. This minimizes any effect on other ICT equipment. The
laboratorys HVDC power feeding system. This HVDC
equipment also provides continuous, uninterrupted power
system is not use for testing; it is used to supply power to
through batteries or emergency generator equipment, which
servers. This system has been supplying power without any
act as backup power sources during power outages. All power
problem.

Fig. 6 Example of NTT sites
V. STANDARDIZATION
HVDC power feeding systems are attracting worldwide
attention as a way to decrease ICT power consumption, which
is increasing annually. Figure 7 shows HVDC power feeding
system demonstrations by telecom carriers, universities, and
manufacturers worldwide [7]-[10]. However, the supply
voltage of the HVDC power feeding system is different. For
the use of such systems to spread, it is preferable for the
interfaces between power supply equipment and ICT devices
to be standard and of uniform specification and for devices to
be built, purchased and used according to these specifications.
Fig. 7 Demonstration sites of HVDC systems
Standardization activities are in progress at the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on HVDC
power-supply interface requirements specifications for ICT
equipment in telecommunications facilities and data centers.
Discussions are in progress now in ETSI and ITU-T.
Requirements, such as the range of power-supply voltages,
and those for grounding, safety, and environmental impact are
all being studied. ETSI created the standard for the HVDC
power supply interface in February 2012 as EN 300 132-3-0
and EN 300 132-3-1. ITU-T created recommendation L.1200
in April, 2012 [11]-[13]. The voltage range is from 260 to 400
V in both the ETSI standard and ITU-T recommendation. The
ETSI standard covers almost all European countries.
Additionally, China and Korea have consented to the HVDC
power-feeding interface condition in ITU-T.
(1) Normal operating range
The Input voltage range in ICT equipment is a key issue. If
the input voltage range is different in each piece of ICT
equipment, manufacturers need to fabricate many types of
power supply units (PSUs) for HVDC power feeding systems.
A PSU is normally a box type. We can use ICT equipment if
we just change the PSU type for HVDC; not change all ICT
equipment. Figure 8 shows a PSU. Also, many types of PSUs
must be able to be used in HVDC systems, and this means that
the cost of ICT equipment for HVDC systems does not
decrease. Therefore, a standard input voltage range is
important. Definitions, such as the DC input voltage range, are
defined at interface X. This point is the boundary condition of
the power feeding system and ICT equipment. Figure 9 shows
the power supply system and interface X. If a commercial
power source shuts down, the batteries discharge to the ICT
equipment in the HVDC power feeding system. Therefore,
standardization bodies discussed the issue of defining the
input voltage range of ICT equipment and the use of lead-acid
and lithium-ion batteries and agreed on an input voltage range
of 260 to 400 V.
Fig. 8 Power supply unit for HVDC
Fig. 9 Power supply system and interface
 (2) Transient operating range
The transient voltage is also important. If a short circuit
occurs in a power feeding system, voltage fluctuation occurs
and the voltage goes over the allowed voltage range at ICT
equipment in another line. In the worst case, the ICT
equipment will stop and the system will shut down. Therefore,
we defined the transient voltage range as being form 0 to 400
V in 10 ms, as shown in Fig. 10, by considering breaker
characteristics, system impedance, and experimental data.
Fig. 10 Transient voltage
(3) Grounding
Grounding is another important issue. Figure 11 shows the
grounding concept used in our HVDC power feeding systems.
There are both positive power and negative power lines in our
systems. Both power lines connect to ground by use of high
resistance. The affect on the human body in the event of
electric shock is much safer than with AC, as reported
previously [8]. However, grounding is determined based on a
buildings configuration and is therefore still under discussion
by standardization bodies.
Fig. 11 Grounding
VI. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
We discussed the advantages, development status, and
standardization activities of our HVDC systems. NTT Group
has conducted practical tests and has confirmed the power
supply operation characteristics. We have also participated in
standardization activities on HVDC power-supply interface
requirement specifications for ICT equipment in
telecommunications facilities and data centers. We can
standardize the power interface of our HVDC power feeding
systems in ETSI and ITU-T. We will implement our system by
establishing green data centers.
VII. REFERENCES
[1] Green IT Promotion Council, FY2008 Green IT Promotion Council
Technical Study Committee Report, 2009 (Japanese).
[2] MIC Research Institute Ltd., Survey on datacenter electricity
consumption and green IT FY2010, MIC, 2010.
[3] Y. Nozaki, Development of Higher-voltage Direct Current Power
Feeding System for ICT Equipment, NTT Technical Review, Vol. 7,
No. 10, 2009.
[4] T. Babasaki, Toshimitsu Tanaka, Toru Tanaka, Y. Nozaki, T. Aoki and F.
Kurokawa, Basic characteristics of new developed higher-voltage
direct-current power-feeding prototype system, IEICE Trans. on
Communications, Vol.E93-B, No.9, Sep. 2010.
[5] A. Matsumoto, A. Fukui, T. Tanaka, K. Hirose, and M. Yamasaki,
Development of 400Vdc power distribution system and 400Vdc output
rectifier, INTELEC 2009, pp. 1-5, 2009.
[6] M. Noritake, K. Hirose, M. Yamasaki, T. Oosawa, and H. Mikami,
Evaluation results of power supply to ICT equipment using HVDC
distribution system, INTELEC 2010, pp. 1-8, 2010.
[7] M. Noritake, T. Ushirokawa, K. Hirose and M. Mino, Verification of
380 Vdc distribution system availability based on demonstration tests,
Proc. of INTELEC 2011, Oct.2011.
[8] K. Hirose, T. Tanaka, T. Babasaki, et al., Grounding concept
considerations and recommendations for 400Vdc distribution system,
Proc. of IEEE INTELEC 2011, 15-2, Oct. 2011.
[9] D. Marquet, O. Foucault, J. Acheen, J. F. Turc, M. Szpek and J.
Brunarie, Pre roll-out field test of 400 Vdc power supply, Proc. of
INTELEC 2011, Oct. 2011.
[10] D. J. Becker, B. J. Sonnenberg, 400 VDC power distribution:
overcoming the challenges, Proc. of INTELEC 2010, June 2010.
[11] D. P. Symanski, 380Vdc data center, 2011 data center efficiency
summit, Nov. 2011.
[12] ETSI HP, http://www.etsi.org/
[13] ITU-T HP, http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com05/sg5-q19.html
[14] MIC HP,
http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/Releases/Telecom
munications/120625_01.html