Cummins designs tailored backup power systems for AI data centers
As the AI revolution drives unprecedented demand for data processing, Cummins says it builds backup power systems tailored to keep AI data centers running when the grid fails.
- 1948
- 24/7
What Happened
Scientists at Bell Labs invented the transistor in 1948, launching the Information Age and a tectonic shift from an industrial economy to a technological one. The devices and systems built on it became smarter, smaller and faster, giving birth to technologies such as the internet. The internet now drives almost everything, from information and social change to interaction, connection and daily life, and that global involvement creates a massive need for data processing and the energy to power it. Data centers meet that need, and Cummins says the current AI revolution has added demand unlike anything the world has seen.
1948
The invention Cummins credits with starting the Information Age and today's data center demand.
“The backbone of our digital world, providing the infrastructure behind everything from photos and file storage to cloud computing, AI, financial transactions and critical business systems.”
Cummins says it designs backup power solutions to meet the specific needs of individual AI data centers, providing reliable, uninterrupted backup power for maximum uptime. Its engineers and designers collaborate directly with AI data centers, assessing sites, available resources, current function, capabilities and future goals. With a clear power picture, Cummins creates a backup power system tailored to each customer's unique specifications, navigating complex challenges such as ever-changing regulatory and compliance issues and the increasingly intricate nature of AI data center design.
- Centum Series freestanding and containerized generators: compact, right-sized units with a full spectrum of power ratings for flexible, high-efficiency power.
- The QSK95 commercial generator: a rugged, high-horsepower engine Cummins calls best-in-class for demanding applications.
- Additional systems such as cooling, battery backup and localized microgrid components can be paired with the generation equipment.
- A customized maintenance program with access to an extensive parts supply chain to extend hardware lifespan and support day-to-day performance.
- Existing equipment, including components from other manufacturers, can be incorporated into customized plans and maintenance agreements.
- 24/7 field service and support to maximize uptime and help keep power flowing in and out.
“There's a lot we can do to support our customers' strategy and objectives. When a customer wants to build a data center, they start with questions like, where do I want to build it? Can I get power? Can I get water? Do I have a natural gas supply? Or maybe they have other needs they aren't aware of yet? The customers with the highest success rate and the best solutions are the ones who bring us in as early as possible. In most cases, years ahead of site deliveries, they have us look at different types of fuels, different genset configurations and obligations and/or constraints they have with utility and regulatory compliance. Our experts have the knowledge needed around all of this, and we can help customers get ahead of the fast timelines and creative power solutions.”
Why this matters
AI data centers underpin cloud computing, financial transactions and critical business systems, so an outage is not an option. Cummins says the customers with the highest success rate are those that bring it in early — often years before site deliveries — to work through fuel choices, generator configurations and regulatory constraints.
Terms in This Story
- data center
- A facility that houses computer servers and related systems for storing, processing and transmitting data.
- genset
- Short for generator set: an engine coupled with an electrical generator to produce electricity, often used as backup power.
- microgrid
- A localized group of electricity sources and loads that can operate alongside or independently of the main power grid.
- uptime
- The period during which a system or facility is operational and available.
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