Data Centre Cooling Explained
WHY YOU NEED AN EFFICIENT COOLING SYSTEM PROVIDER:
Data centre CRAC is a common abbreviation for Computer Room Air Conditioning.
Used to control and maintain an optimal temperature, distribution and air flow within data centres and network areas, they can mean the difference in your computers breaking down or running to peak standard. Computer Room Air Conditioning Units or data centre CRAC units are becoming more and more commonly used to replace the standard air conditioning within computer rooms of the past.
In rooms exposed to high-level temperatures due to the capacity of computer hardware in data centres and network areas, data centre CRAC units regulate thermal conditions ensuring prime temperature for data centres to operate within. They protect against network area and data centre breakdowns and permanent damage to hardware due to overheating that can often be experienced. Data centre CRAC units work to ensure precise humidity levels and consistency of temperatures ideal for high loading areas such as data centres, server rooms and network areas.
Many people don’t realise that without utilising a data centre CRAC, mainframes and racks of servers can get as hot as. The average rack has a heat rejection of 3kw but some servers have a heat rejection of up to 20kw, making sizing of the cooling equipment critical for controlling the temperature of computer infrastructure in ensuring its smooth running.
How Do I Set Up My CRAC Units Properly?
There are a number of options around how data centre CRAC units can be set up or situated. One option is having air that has been through the cooling process dispensed through an elevated floor, as shown in the diagram below. Cool air flows under a Raised Access Floor then through the racks, heating up as it passes over the computer hardware and is purged through the back of the racks. This newly heated air is the delivered back to the CRAC unit to start the process all over again.
One of the most common set ups is to have the rack aisles installed in a hot aisle/cold aisle scenario as this gives effective temperature control which will impact on both the functionality and reliability of a computer room ensuring the network area is set to an optimal temperature for peak performance.
Aisle Containment can be added to this set up as a way of ensuring that the cooled air can only go through the equipment installed in each rack which will have a dramatic effect on the power consumption with in the Data Centre.
How can IT Air help in your DC ?
I.T. Air are specialists in CRAC Units, for Installation, Service and Maintenance, so whether you’re looking for DX, Chilled water, or free cooling there’s no need to go past us.
Apart from cooling systems we do monitoring devices and DCIM controls. We also design and manufacture our own containment systems and have a very close working relationship with a Raised Flooring Company that specialises in Data Centre Environments Raised Floors New Zealand. We’ve got you covered, everything from cooling, monitoring, flooring, cable trays, fibre ducting!!
Just simply tell us your specific requirements, and we will handle the rest! We have loved building better environments for our existing customers’ Data rooms. Now we would like to help YOU achieve your goal of having a purpose built Electronic Environment!
