Busway Design and Calculations for Data Centers

In high-density environments like data centers, busway systems offer flexible and scalable power distribution compared to traditional cable trays. To design a reliable and efficient busway system, several electrical and physical parameters need to be considered.

Step 1: Calculate Total Current Required – Current per rack (I) = P / (√3 × V × Power Factor)

Step 2: Account for Voltage Drop – Voltage drop (ΔV) should ideally be <3% of the supply voltage for critical infrastructure.

Step 3: Select Busway Current Rating – Choose a busway that can handle 125% of the total load for headroom and redundancy

Step 4: Determine the Length of the Busway – Busway length depends on room layout, rack rows, and electrical room proximity.

Step 5 : Calculate the Rating and Number of Tap-off Units

Calculation based on an example with Data Center having each rack consuming 5 kW of power and the supply voltage for each rack is 380V in a three-phase system is shown for better understanding.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Select Busway with IP Protection for data center conditions (e.g., IP55 or higher)

• Use Plug-n-Play Tap-off Boxes for faster deployment

• Plan for Redundancy (A & B paths) to meet Tier III or Tier IV uptime requirements

• Include Grounding & Fault Protection according to local electrical codes

Designing a busway system doesn’t need to be complex—with proper planning, calculation, and product selection, your data center will benefit from modular scalability, improved aesthetics, and better power reliability.