DATA CENTRES & CABLE MANAGEMENT
The importance of isolating temperatures within data centres
Paul Beech, general manager of thermal breaks specialist, Armatherm, discusses the importance of isolating temperatures as much as possible within data centres, and how this can be achieved with the addition of thermal breaks within the building envelope
O
ne of the most crucial elements of creating a data centre is monitoring and managing the inside environment. As the machinery inside creates
a lot of power, this translates into heat, and the more equipment packed into a facility, the greater the level of heat generated. Keeping these premises cool is crucial for a number of reasons, mainly for optimal performance from the devices and reducing humidity - the presence of which can cause dire consequences. Unfortunately, even the most insulated buildings can struggle to maintain steady temperatures, so how can this be achieved in situations where temperatures are paramount to the safety and functionality of essential data servers?
It’s well known that electronic components, particularly in servers, operate at maximum efficiency within a specific temperature range. There’s an array of potential dangers when it comes to hosting a large number of servers in a location, as excessive heat can accelerate the ageing process of electronic components, reducing their reliability and lifespan – even risking electrical fires if the devices fully overheat. By maintaining a cool environment, data centre operators can ensure the longevity of their equipment and reduce the risk of hardware failures.
This is why data centre cooling is a huge part
of creating these facilities, with a number of elements combining to ensure the optimal conditions. Proper cooling measures help mitigate these risks and create a safer working environment for data centre personnel. Data centre cooling is the process of removing excess heat from the air and replacing it with cooler air, this is achieved with a number of methods including venting the hot air to the outdoors, while simultaneously bringing outside air inside, cooling it and then circulating it throughout the facility. Alternatively, or additionally, the inside air can also be recycled, which is usually done via hot and cold aisle design (hot and cold aisle layout involves lining up server racks in alternating rows with cold air intakes facing each other, creating cold aisles, and hot air exhausts facing each other – the hot aisles).
Some smaller facilities opt to bypass any costly air conditioning units altogether and simply attempt to monitor and control inside temperatures – replacing any equipment as and when it fails. For some, this is more cost-effective than investing in CRAC units (computer room air conditioning), but incredibly wasteful and unsustainable while also increasing costly downtime when replacing the units. All these methods rely on maintaining inside temperatures, something which is made more difficult if this hasn’t been factored into the build at the design stages of a build.
When looking at creating these structures which
rely so heavily on maintained temperatures, there are factors to be taken into account within the building envelope.
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Mar24.indd 1 20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2024 12/2/24 17:50 Read the latest at:
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