Datacenters are the fastest-growing application of the AC-DC and DC-DC Power Supply Market. That naturally begs the question: which power supplies find use in datacenters?  Answering that would be easier if one were to ponder over why and how exactly datacenters require power. Datacenters typically require large amounts of power to support their operations–a large ‘hyperscale’ datacenter can demand anywhere from 20 to over 100 megawatts (MW) of power. 

What do Datacenters seek from their Power Supply Architecture? 

Likewise, datacenters need power supplies that can scale with their capacity requirements. This often means using power supplies with high wattage ratings to support numerous servers and other hardware. They also operate round the clock and hence specifically require not only reliable power supplies but also those which ensure uninterrupted energy supply to equipment.

Furthermore, they must also offer high capacity and scalability to support the dense computing infrastructure while prioritizing redundancy and reliability through features like hot-swappability and redundant configurations.

Additionally, energy efficiency, compatibility with industry standards, and remote management capabilities are essential to minimize operational costs, ensure seamless integration, and enable remote monitoring and control of power distribution.

What exactly needs Power in Datacenters?

Datacenters have a wide range of equipment requiring power, each with specific power requirements and redundancy to ensure safety. At the heart of datacenters are servers, where central processing units (CPUs), memory (RAM), and storage drives work tirelessly to process and store data.

However, this activity generates a significant amount of heat, necessitating the operation of cooling systems to maintain optimal temperatures. These cooling systems not only preserve the integrity of the servers but also extend their lifespan, ensuring continuous operation. In line with WAWT’s projections, the popularity, interest and adoption of using emerging innovative cooling technologies like liquid cooling, immersive cooking, direct-to-chip cooling, air cooling, and other forms have grown since 2023, with the year 2024 set to be a turning point towards the adoption of cooling technologies.

Furthermore, the data stored on hard drives and solid-state drives requires power for read/write operations, forming the backbone of data management within the datacenter.

Networking equipment, including routers and switches, facilitates communication between servers and external networks, all powered to maintain connectivity. In the event of a power outage, backup systems such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) kick in to sustain critical operations, safeguarding against downtime.

Security systems, powered for continuous surveillance, protect both physical and digital assets, while lighting ensures visibility for personnel to manage and maintain these interconnected components effectively. Thus, each component in a datacenter, from servers to lighting, relies on electrical power, forming an intricate network vital for the datacenter’s functionality and resilience.

Power Supplies found in the Datacenters

With how the power requirements of datacenters stand, there is a specific set of power supplies applied in datacenters: 

AC-DC Conversion:

Triangle Current Mode (TCM) and Critical Conduction Mode (CRM) Converters:

They are particularly relevant in the context of efficiency and reliability–a major power requirement of datacenters. These modes–of AC-DC conversion–characterized by zero-voltage switching (ZVS), leverage Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices to optimize power conversion processes. 

TCM operates by regulating the current in a triangular waveform, ensuring smooth transitions between different states and minimizing switching losses. On the other hand, CRM manages the conduction of power devices precisely at critical points in the AC waveform, further enhancing efficiency by reducing conduction losses. In datacenters, where power demands are substantial and continuous, the implementation of TCM and CRM converters can lead to significant improvements in energy efficiency and power management.

By minimizing energy losses during conversion and ensuring stable power delivery to critical components such as servers, cooling systems, and networking equipment, these converter modes contribute to the overall sustainability and reliability of datacenter operations. 

ZVS BTB Converter:

They use a soft-switching approach using auxiliary circuits to achieve ZVS, along with its potential for improving efficiency in datacenter applications. 

In the demanding environment of datacenters, where large-scale power conversion is constant, the ZVS BTB converter offers significant advantages by reducing energy wastage during the conversion process. This results in lower operating costs and a smaller environmental footprint, aligning with the sustainability goals of modern datacenter operations. 

Three-Level BTB Converter with Hybrid Module:

This topology of the converter is designed to enhance efficiency, particularly through the integration of Silicon Carbide Schottky Barrier Diodes (SiC SBDs) to mitigate reverse recovery losses. By incorporating SiC SBDs, which offer faster switching speeds and reduced switching losses compared to traditional silicon-based diodes, the Three-Level BTB Converter with Hybrid Module achieves higher efficiency levels while maintaining robustness and reliability.

DC-DC Conversion:

Differential Power Processing (DPP):

Originally developed for battery systems, DPPs have now found their way into datacenter applications, unlocking new levels of efficiency and power density in critical systems like stacked servers and storage servers. This innovative approach to power management allows for the optimization of power delivery across multiple sources or loads, ensuring that energy is efficiently distributed where it’s needed most.

By dynamically adjusting voltage and current levels based on real-time demand and conditions, DPP minimizes energy losses and maximizes overall system performance. In the context of datacenters, where power consumption is a significant operational expense and space is often at a premium, the adoption of DPP technology brings substantial benefits. It enables datacenter operators to achieve higher levels of efficiency and power density, thereby reducing operating costs, optimizing resource utilization, and enhancing overall system reliability. 

Furthermore, by facilitating more efficient power distribution and management, DPP contributes to the sustainability objectives of datacenters by minimizing energy waste and reducing environmental impact. Overall, the integration of DPP technology represents a significant advancement in the quest for more efficient and sustainable datacenter infrastructure.

48-V Point-of-Load (PoL) Converters: These converters come in various topologies, each tailored to specific application requirements and design constraints. Among the discussed topologies are two-stage IBA (Intermediate Bus Architecture), two-stage with pre-regulation, ISOP (Integrated Synchronous Buck and Buck-Boost), and single-stage solutions. Each topology brings its unique set of advantages in terms of efficiency, power density, and dynamic performance. 

For instance, two-stage architectures with pre-regulation offer enhanced efficiency by leveraging pre-regulated voltage levels, while ISOP solutions integrate multiple conversion stages into a single package, reducing component count and footprint.

Single-stage converters streamline the power delivery process, minimizing conversion losses and maximizing power density. By offering a range of options, these PoL converters enable designers to optimize power delivery for specific loads, balancing efficiency, density, and performance to meet the diverse needs of modern datacenters and electronic systems.

Summary

In conclusion, the intricate power supply architecture within datacenters underscores the critical role that efficient and reliable power delivery plays in sustaining their operations. As the demand for data processing and storage continues to surge, datacenters must continually evolve their power supply systems to meet ever-growing capacity requirements while prioritizing efficiency, reliability, and scalability.

By using advanced technologies such as Triangle Current Mode (TCM) and Critical Conduction Mode (CRM) converters, ZVS BTB converters, Three-Level BTB converters with Hybrid Modules,

Differential Power Processing (DPP) systems, and 48-V Point-of-Load (PoL) converter, datacenters aim at energy efficiency, power density, and overall system performance. These innovations not only optimize power conversion processes but also contribute to the sustainability goals of datacenter operations by minimizing energy waste and reducing environmental impact.

As datacenters continue to push the boundaries of technological innovation, the integration of advanced power supply solutions will remain instrumental in driving efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in the ever-expanding digital infrastructure landscape.

About Wired and Wireless Technologies (WAWT)

WAWT WAWT, a strategic technology analyst and consultancy firm, specializes in the wireless power and power supply industry. Its comprehensive report, titled “AC-DC and DC-DC Merchant Power Supply Market Report” and “External Power Adapters and Chargers Market Report”, offers critical market data, insights and market intelligence. It provides the latest market size estimates and forecasts for the power supply market, catering to companies across the power supply ecosystem

These reports analyse the market across product, regional and power class segments, including a detailed analysis of power supply in datacenter applications (Servers, Storage and Networking -SSN). Furthermore, it ranks power supply companies based on their revenues, across industry sectors.

In summary, WAWT’s report is an invaluable resource for businesses seeking to understand the power supply landscape, make informed decisions, and stay competitive in this dynamic industry.

Reach out to our subject matter experts (SMEs) by emailing analyst@wawt.tech. Follow our LinkedIn page (WAWT) for the latest market trends and updates on power supplies and allied technologies.