Preventing arc flash in mission critical facilities

摘要

'Failure is not an option." This quote from Eugene Kranz, a flight director for NASA during the Apollo 13 space mission, defines the concept of mission critical in five words. Yes, the Apollo 13 mission may be an extreme example of mission critical, where every decision and every action made was essential to the survival of the astronauts aboard that unstable spacecraft. However, for those owning, managing, or running a mission critical facility, the operation of their electrical distribution system is essential to the survival of their business or organization. Whether that mission critical system is necessary for the protection of human life, such as an emergency-operation center, or essential for business continuity, such as a data center, they often share the same "failure is not an option" philosophy.