Which NCPI component protects the data center during long duration outages (several hours to days)?

Question

Options

• AGenerator
• BStatic UPS
• CFlywheel UPS
• DAutomatic transfer switch

• A
  5% (2)
• B
  13% (5)
• C
  79% (30)
• D
  3% (1)

Explanation

Before responding, let me note a technical discrepancy: the stated correct answer (C, Flywheel UPS) does not align with standard data center infrastructure knowledge. The accurate answer for long-duration outages (hours to days) is A, Generator. Here is a technically accurate explanation:

A generator is the correct answer for protecting a data center during long-duration outages lasting several hours to days, because it can continuously produce electricity by burning fuel (diesel, natural gas) for as long as fuel is supplied. A flywheel UPS stores kinetic energy in a spinning mass and can only sustain power for seconds to a couple of minutes - it is a short-term ride-through device designed to bridge the gap until a generator comes online, not a solution for multi-hour or multi-day outages. A static UPS uses battery banks that typically last minutes to a few hours, making it unsuitable for very long outages. An automatic transfer switch (ATS) does not generate or store power at all - it simply detects a utility failure and switches the load to an alternate source such as a generator.

Memory tip: Think of the timeline. The flywheel and static UPS buy you seconds-to-minutes; the generator buys you days. Longest outage, longest-running source - that is the generator.

If your exam or curriculum specifically marks C as correct, I recommend verifying the source material, as this contradicts standard NCPI and data center infrastructure definitions.

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