What it is
FORTRUST deployed Diesel Rotary UPS (DRUPS) systems at its Denver data center expansion, combining diesel engine with flywheel kinetic energy to eliminate lead-acid batteries. COO Rob McClary’s team spent two years evaluating backup power alternatives, prioritizing reliability to maintain the facility’s 100% uptime record since 2001.
Why it matters
Facilities operators face maintenance overhead and space constraints with traditional lead-acid battery UPS systems. This case study documents a 2-year evaluation process focused on reliability tradeoffs between battery-based systems, standalone flywheels (15-20 sec ride-through), and integrated DRUPS units. The decision affects backup power architecture choices, maintenance schedules, and spatial planning for mission-critical facilities seeking battery-free alternatives.
Evidence from source:
- FORTRUST’s COO and team spent two years reviewing backup power options before selecting DRUPS
- Traditional flywheel UPS offers 15-20 second ride-through time vs DRUPS integrated approach
- FORTRUST maintained 100% availability since Sept 2001, over 14 years, driving reliability-first evaluation
Links
- Canonical source: https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/energy/article/11430964/fortrust-adopts-diesel-rotary-ups-for-backup-power
- Player: /players/other/
- Topic: /topics/ups-resilience/
- Topic: /topics/reliability-uptime/
Open questions
- What are the commissioning and testing requirements for DRUPS vs traditional battery UPS systems?
- How does DRUPS maintenance labor compare to battery replacement cycles over 5-10 year horizons?