Riello UPS’s Sentryum range of uninterruptible power supplies is flying high by helping to protect critical equipment at Belfast International Airport (BIA).
A 15 kVA version of the uninterruptible power supply manufacturer’s new transformerless series has been installed in the airport’s main IT communications room to upgrade an ageing 10 kVA unit.
Chris McGarry, IT Manager for Belfast International Airport, explains: “One of our main IT UPS systems was coming to the end of its lifecycle and needed to be replaced.
“The UPS in question supports critical IT infrastructure at the airport. Whilst we have many redundant systems in place, it is very important all our UPS systems are fully-functional to avoid any power loss and possible disruption to the airport’s IT systems.”
The airport turned to a long-standing local supplier to carry out the UPS replacement, Belfast-based electrical company Ashdale Engineering Ltd.
McGarry continues: “We have been working with Ashdale Engineering Ltd for more than 20 years. They have supplied and maintained UPS systems at the airport and have always provided us with a reliable and competitive service.”
Ashdale Engineering Ltd is a certified Riello UPS reseller and service partner. It has worked with the manufacturer on several projects, including the £100 million Titanic Exhibition Centre in 2012, which involved installing 12 UPS systems to provide 35 kW of power protection.
The airport was reassured with the choice of equipment manufacturer for the upgrade, with McGarry explaining: “We already have several Riello UPS systems onsite and are satisfied with their reliability and features. We monitor them over IP and found the NetMan 204 communications card very easy to install and set up.”
Colin Simms, Operations Director for Ashdale Engineering Ltd, comments: “Riello UPS’s new transformerless range the Sentryum was the ideal replacement for the existing UPS system.
“In this case, we supplied a 15 kVA single-phase input and output UPS with internal batteries providing a runtime of five minutes.”
Delivering unity power (kVA = kW) and exceptional efficiency of up to 96.5%, the Sentryum is available in 10, 15, and 20 kVA versions. One of its major benefits is the choice of three different cabinet sizes to offer end-users flexibility depending on their available floorspace and desired battery runtime.
The smallest Sentryum cabinet – Compact (CPT) – was chosen for the airport upgrade, with its dimensions of just 28cm wide by 70cm high by 84cm deep, ensuring the installation took up the minimum amount of space in the IT room.
The UPS changeover took place with minimal disruption too. McGarry concluded: “We’re very pleased with the project. As much work as possible was done during normal hours with final connections made out of hours at a time that suited the airport, resulting in the least downtime possible.”
