Bench Talk

Novel Fuse Design Increases Uptime

(Source: Lisbeth / stock.adobe.com; generated with AI)

The exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has created an explosion of data. In fact, more data has been created in the past three years than in all of history.^[1] Consequently, data center companies and cloud service providers (CSPs) are investing heavily in new data center infrastructure globally. In North America alone, data center construction jumped 70 percent year-over-year to a record 3.9 gigawatts.^[2]

Handling this growth is not just a matter of replicating existing data centers. To handle AI workloads, data centers are becoming bigger. While 30 megawatt facilities were considered large ten years ago, today’s data centers regularly surpass 200 megawatts.^[3] Complexity is on the rise as well. Instead of row after row of standard servers, today’s data centers require a complex mix of graphics processing units (GPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other specialized hardware to handle AI workloads.

However, the race to build modern data center facilities is filled with obstacles, including energy availability, proximity to network connectivity, changing climate conditions, and government regulations. While it takes years to commission a new facility, once it is up and running, downtime is not an option. Every hour of data center downtime can result in significant financial losses, potentially reaching millions in lost revenue, so even seemingly minor maintenance issues can have massive financial implications.^[4] And even though data center outages are trending downward, the cost of an outage continues to rise.^[5]

The Hidden Costs of Traditional Control Cabinet Design

Central to non-stop data center operations are the control cabinets used in power distribution, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) infrastructure, server racks, communication systems, and overall building management. But traditional cabinet designs have inherent vulnerabilities that impact both construction efficiency and ongoing operations.

With miles of custom wiring and connectors, deployment requirements drive up construction timelines and labor costs in an environment already strained by skilled labor shortages. Every cabinet needs manual wiring, which takes time and exposes sensitive equipment inside the cabinets to dust and other environmental hazards. Over time, this challenge can lead to ongoing maintenance headaches across the facility.

Space is another issue. Components like fuse terminal blocks consume valuable real estate inside cabinets, limiting design flexibility and forcing larger footprints in environments where space is at a premium.

Critically, traditional cabinet designs turn simple maintenance tasks into complex operations. Consider how a blown fuse can cause weeks of downtime: Getting a specialized electrician on site may take days. Once they arrive, they may need to go through multiple cabinets to find the problem, with each cabinet containing a multitude of fuses. Considering that a large data center might contain thousands of fuses, this is not a trivial challenge. And every hour, every day, and every week a data center is not online, millions of dollars are at risk.

Transforming Maintenance with Smarter Fuses

While data centers face constant challenges, HARTING Han^® Protect offers a straightforward solution (Figure 1). From eliminating fused terminal blocks to enabling designers to easily identify blown fuses, Han Protect offers quick, simple, and tool-less replacement from outside the control cabinet.

Figure 1: HARTING Han® Protect Size 3A Heavy-Duty Power Connector. (Source: Mouser Electronics)

By moving fuse systems to the outside of the cabinets—while maintaining protection—Han Protect changes how data centers approach both construction and maintenance (Figure 2).

• Faster Fuse Replacement: One of the most significant advantages is the considerable reduction in maintenance time. A blown fuse doesn't have to mean hours or days of downtime. Instead, a technician, rather than an electrician, can replace a fuse in minutes without specialized electrical expertise. An integrated LED indicator shows exactly which fuse is blown, saving time and preventing extended outages that can cut into revenue.
• Improved Security: Typically, accessing a fuse means opening control cabinets. This comes with risks like exposing sensitive equipment or accidentally disconnecting something. Han Protect solves this by providing external fuse access while keeping critical systems secured. This approach maintains cabinet security during routine maintenance—a crucial consideration for facilities handling sensitive data and mission-critical operations.
• Space Optimization and Sustainability: The way the system places the fuses reduces the overall size of the control cabinets. By removing internal fuse terminal blocks and reorganizing components, the design enables more compact cabinet layouts. This efficiency translates directly to improved facility density and supports environmental sustainability goals through reduced material usage.^[6]
• Proactive Maintenance:  External fuses with LEDs transform basic circuit protection into a health monitoring system. Whereas traditional fuse terminal blocks are hidden inside the cabinet—making it easy to miss non-critical failures—external fuses make system health visible at a glance. This simple change helps maintenance teams spot and address developing issues before they escalate into serious equipment problems.

Figure 2: An overview of the benefits of Harting HAN Protect. (Source: Harting; modified by Mouser Electronics)^[7]

Meeting Tomorrow’s Data Center Challenges

With AI and digital transformation pushing data center growth to new levels, solutions like Han Protect demonstrate the type of forward-thinking design needed to keep up with rising expectations for efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. By addressing multiple challenges—from construction timelines to maintenance procedures to space utilization—this approach helps data centers adapt to the pressures of an increasingly digital world.

The future of data center infrastructure depends on solutions that balance competing demands for security, accessibility, and efficiency. With data generation continuing its exponential growth and AI applications becoming more deeply embedded in critical operations, the ability to maintain and protect these crucial facilities will only become more important. Innovations that streamline maintenance, enhance security, and reduce footprint play a crucial role in data center design—today and into the future.

Sources

[1] https://www.blackstone.com/insights/article/the-convergence-of-data-centers-and-power-a-generational-investment-opportunity-the-connection
[2]  https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/north-america-sees-70-jump-data-center-supply-construction-cbre-report-says-2024-08-20/
[3]  https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/ai-power-expanding-data-center-capacity-to-meet-growing-demand
[4]  https://www.ciodive.com/news/IT-outage-cost-report-new-relic/696359/
[5]  https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/data-centres/why-major-data-center-outages-may-soon-be-a-thing-of-the-past
[6]  https://www.harting.com/en-US/transforming-data-center-case-study
[7]  https://www.harting.com/en-US/han-protect-fuse-integrated-connector