Many data center operators, as they take steps to ensure competitiveness in a challenging market, are examining new approaches to data center cooling technology. The current heat-exchange methods for cooling data centers are inherently inefficient when it comes to meeting the requirements imposed by today's dense, high-speed computing equipment. They can also lead to considerable expenses.
By implementing a solution that aligns with a range of business initiatives ' including cost-effective operation, optimization of energy efficiencies, reduced management complexity and the need to meet green computing initiatives ' data center operators can address these challenges and extend their competitive advantage.
Current conventional heat removal systems include:
- Computer room air conditioners (CRAC). Large air handlers that blow cold air through under-floor ducts and plenums in a raised-floor environment up into a "cold" aisle, where the air intake of the server equipment is pointed. In this model the exhaust sides are pointed towards a "hot" aisle where the heated air is pulled by the CRAC units.
- Aisle containment solutions. These trap cold or hot air so they can concentrate air streams and increase efficiency, but they still rely on air as the heat transfer medium.
- Chilled water systems. Chilled water systems bring chilled water into the data center to perform the heat exchange, with water acting as the heat-transfer medium. These increase efficiency by using water, which is a far better conductor of heat than air.
In row or overhead systems. These systems pull hot exhaust air into the dedicated duct systems where heat exchangers remove the heat.
This active airflow design compensates for the varying distance between the exhaust point of the server and the input side of the coil, insuring maximum airflow in multiple configurations and multiple cabinet designs. It is a method that maximizes the cooling effectiveness and provides an efficient means of removing the heat from the data center.
The effectiveness of the system allows the data center operator to reclaim space in existing cabinets and rows to maximize density within the existing footprint. Secondary benefits include reduced internal server temperatures and reduced noise throughout data center due to server fans operating at slower speeds because of the efficiency of the method of cooling. Better still, intake and exhaust aisle temperatures are close to balanced resulting from the systems efficiency.