High[ER] Density And Scalable Data Center Cooling Trends
No two data centers are alike and there is no one-size-fits-all cooling solution. Thermal controls should be customized to the server configuration and installed in concert with the rest of the facility, or at least six months before the go-live date. Equipment in the higher density range of 8-16 kw can present unique challenges to precision cooling configurations. The performance of the servers themselves can vary from rack to rack, within a rack, and even with the time of day or year, causing hotspots to emerge.
Higher-density equipment is not well-served by a standard computer room air conditioning (CRAC) unit. However, variable speed direct expansion CRAC equipment, like gForce Ultra from Data Aire, scales up and down gracefully to meet demand. This not only saves money but minimizes power surges that can cause downtime. Continuous monitoring should be put in place using sensors to detect heat buildup in one spot that may threaten nearby equipment. Alarms should be set to flag critical events without triggering unnecessary firefighting. Cooling should also be integrated into the building-wide environmental monitoring systems.
