If the designed power supply voltage is wrong, please do not try to use it for other purposes. Do not operate any equipment at a voltage higher than the designed voltage.

Attempting to use other types of transformers is not only dangerous, but also violates the server's UL listing because you will not use it for UL testing and listing purposes.

Transformers have two important parameters: voltage and current.

Regarding the difference in voltage between transformers and servers, 480 volts is the three-phase power standard used in North America. Although there is some discussion about designing servers for 480-V power supplies, they are not easily available.

This higher voltage distributes the power to the transformer, which steps it down to 120/208 V (120 is the phase-to-phase voltage and 208 is the phase-to-phase voltage, both can be used to run servers). In rare cases, a transformer is used in the reverse direction to raise 208 volts to 480 volts. Large motors and heaters are usually the only devices that operate on 480 volts.

Industry groups have been advocating the use of 400-V European standard power supplies, and now some data centers in the United States actually use this power supply. It produces higher energy efficiency and simplifies phase balance. This is achieved with the unusual 480 to 400 V three-phase transformer. The server is still running on 230 volts.

Mainly in Europe, 400 V is a three-phase power standard. The lower voltage can be obtained from 400 V without an additional transformer, which is the voltage required for 480 V. Depending on the location, the supplied and stepped down voltage may be 380/220, 400/230 or 415/240 - all of these are usually mentioned as 400 volt services. The important thing is that the server runs at a lower phase-to-phase voltage of 220, 230, or 240 V, rather than a phase-to-phase voltage of 380, 400, or 415.

The nameplate on the server is a sign required by law to provide electrical characteristics, usually with the model and serial number and the standards it complies with. Your high-voltage server may have a rated voltage of 250 volts (it could also be 110, 115, or 120 volts).

All modern servers should be designed to operate with input power up to 250 V. This allows the same server to operate in a US data center at 120 or 208 V, or in a 220-, 230- or 240-V service in Europe without modification.

About the author: Robert McFarlane is the head of data center design at Shen Milsom and Wilke LLC and has more than 35 years of experience. As an expert in data center power and cooling, he helped pioneer building cable design and is a corresponding member of ASHRAE TC9.9. McFarlane also teaches at the Data Center Professionals Institute at Marist College.

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