AHUs
reduction. Furthermore, advanced mechanisms such as adaptive control (a system that automatically compensates for variations by adjusting controller characteristics) allow precise regulation of temperature and airfl ow to further cut costs and reduce wasted energy. Advances in sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) technology also enable AHUs to communicate with building management systems, tightening control over the units even more. The resulting smart systems strengthen real-time monitoring and alerts to improve predictive maintenance, enable systems to be controlled through the web or mobile devices, and reduce operational costs as well as boost energy effi ciency. Furthermore, advanced heat recovery systems are available that have a massive impact on energy effi ciency and environmental performance. Waste heat recovery from data centres not only saves energy but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, especially if it replaces fossil-fuel-based heat production.
It has been estimated that an eff ectively put-together AHU
operating with a heat recovery system can recover almost three-quarters of the thermal energy from the extracted airfl ow and feed this directly back into the fresh air supply where appropriate or recover that heat to a separate system if only cooling is needed. Another innovation in AHUs is high-effi ciency fi lters, which can help reduce operational costs, cut the carbon footprint, and prevent expensive and disruptive equipment downtime, as well as shield against electromagnetic interference that causes data errors and equipment failure. They do this by limiting particulate and gaseous contaminants that can pose a serious threat to security and, in the worst cases, result in a complete loss of data. Finally, advances in artifi cial intelligence and machine learning are improving predictive maintenance and system optimisation by helping the latest AHUs to ‘learn’ from operational data, identify patterns, and predict potential issues before they escalate, preventing breakdowns and costly stoppages as well as extending the lifespan of the units. But it is not just the AHU technology itself that determines
the success or otherwise of a data centre project; its design and integration are also critical. Designing AHUs requires an integrated approach, considering the role of each component and educating facility personnel on maintenance and operations for eff ective performance. Moreover, monitoring and control of the technology is important. AHUs are integrated into building management systems for remote monitoring and real-time adjustments of temperature, humidity, and other parameters to maintain optimal conditions. Once the design is settled, the data centre’s engineering personnel must be trained in how the AHUs operate and are maintained. These factors can be problematic, so it pays to employ
an expert in the fi eld who has the experience and technical knowledge to navigate the complexities, identify the right equipment for the job, recognise and isolate redundancy requirements, and ensure that operating costs are minimised.
The role of heat pump AHUs in data centres
A typical standard AHU has two coils, one for cooling and the other for heating. Water is provided to the coils through inline pumps from the chiller for cooling and from the boiler for heating. This traditional system is generally stable but has a high installation cost compared to a fully packaged solution. The AHU is generally installed in the basement, roof, or plant room, from where the processed fresh air is fed to the building interior. However, along with fresh air, a source of cooling will be required, often via a variable refrigerant fl ow (VRF) or heat pump system –
thus, the heat pump AHU. Heat pump AHUs are particularly well-suited to high-demand applications such as data centres, boasting, as they do, high effi ciencies and year-round comfort. The 3DxHP Series three-coil integral DX heat pump AHU available from Klima-Therm, for example, makes the best possible use of clean electricity. The innovative design of the 3DxHP Series range uses the heat pump’s own energy to prevent any need for a defrost cycle at all.
The fully packaged heat pump AHU provides a compact and integrated design
for the cooling needs of data centres without any need for further external cooling sources, signifi cantly reducing installation costs. On top of this, the fact that the unit is factory assembled and tested ensures its quality is consistently high, unlike some site- based system assemblies. Furthermore, the built-in refrigeration system saves on refrigerant charge, and there are no messy pipe runs around the building – that makes handling F-Gas procedures simpler and easier, a boon for any data centre owner/occupier.
But, more than this, the latest AHUs deliver exceptional energy
savings, low emissions, and
impressive cost savings.
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www.acr-news.com • April 2025 23
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