Should a battery rack be open or open?

Racks are usually multi-tier or multi-step to reduce footprint. The trade-off is greater floor loading. Because of the potential of human contact with a dangerous electrical hazard, open racks must be in rooms only accessible by trained and authorized personnel. Battery cabinets - Only VRLA can be installed in cabinets.

Do battery cabinets need to be in a battery room?

Because cabinets can have locked doors, the cabinets do not have to be in battery rooms; they can be installed directly adjacent to the UPS system and/or the information technology equipment. This eliminates the need for long dc cabling. Battery cabinets can be made to be indistinguishable from IT equipment cabinets.

When should a battery cabinet be locked?

Cabinet doors should be locked at all times when the cabinet is not being serviced. Various approaches to securing a battery cabinet include frames or straps under the raised floor.

Why do you need a battery cabinet?

Ease of use is one of the principle selling points for battery cabinets. It is convenient to service the equipment when the UPS and the battery (ies) are right next to each other. Conversely, it is inconvenient to have to go to a separate room when open-rack batteries are installed.

Are open rack batteries dangerous?

There are two primary hazards of concern: electrical and fire. Open rack batteries expose potentially lethal voltage to any person coming in contact with them. Therefore they must be installed in battery rooms in which room access is restricted to authorized personnel only. Authorized personnel must be trained in battery safety.

Should UPS batteries be installed on racks or in cabinets?

Early on in a UPS design a decision must be made on whether batteries should be installed on racks or in cabinets. Both have pros and cons. The following are typical design considerations.