Environmental monitoring and control are important tasks for every data center. Elevated temperatures and humidity can impair IT equipment, leading to operational failure. This has the potential to create unfavorable circumstances for individuals employed within the data center.

Fortunately, there exist numerous systems and technologies that can help in the monitoring and management of data center cooling. They also ensure that temperatures and humidity levels remain within the ideal range. Let's take a look at the data center cooling systems.

What is Data Centre Cooling?

Data centers consume an extensive quantity of electricity, resulting in the generation of plenty of heat. The heat created in a facility increases proportionally with the amount of equipment that is packed inside. Data center cooling involves a wide range of components, methods, and practices to ensure the ideal temperature and humidity levels are maintained within the facility.

Effective data center cooling guarantees that the entire facility receives sufficient cooling, ventilation, and humidity regulation. This in turn helps to keep all equipment within the specified temperature thresholds.

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What is the Purpose of Data Center Cooling? 

The data center cooling system is designed specifically to remove excess heat. This heat is produced by the operation of a wide range of equipment, including servers, storage devices, networking hardware, and more. The thermal energy is created when electrical energy is transformed into thermal energy. It is a process that happens because the electronic components aren't very efficient.

Data center cooling systems do more than just control the temperature; they also make sure the humidity stays where it should be. This stops condensation and the accumulation of static electricity, two causes of corrosion. Electronic devices are vulnerable to both of these dangers.

Cooling data centers primarily helps keep the atmosphere conducive. This helps in running information technology equipment efficiently. Data centers should be kept at a temperature between 18 and 27 degrees Celsius (64 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the industry group ASHRAE. Humidity levels for data centers, according to ASHRAE, should be between 40 percent and 60 percent, depending on the hardware and layout of the facility.

A data center's airflow and ventilation system are crucial for maintaining the required humidity and temperature conditions. All of these parts cooperate to cool the building and keep the temperature controlled.

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Why are Data Center Cooling Systems Important?

It's important to keep the data center cool for many reasons, such as performance, avoiding downtime, machine longevity, saving energy, and worker comfort. Here is a more in-depth look at each of these factors:

Performance

Too much heat in a data center can cause "hot spots" that make computer parts like processors and memory incapable of functioning properly. Computers can slow down, freeze, or even get hardware harm that can't be fixed if they get too hot. Cooling systems properly keep them running at their best and protect the server's internal code.

Preventing downtime 

When systems get too hot, they can break down and cause downtime. Downtime is not only annoying, but it also costs a lot of money in data centers. Using the right cooling methods can help stop these kinds of problems.

Equipment longevity 

Hardware can break down over time if it is exposed to high temperatures for a long time. On the other hand, keeping the area cool makes the tools last longer. Another thing to keep in mind is that an excessive amount of humidity can damage things. When hygrometric dust particles stick to electrical parts, it makes it harder for heat to move and can even cause rust.

Energy efficiency

Cooling systems that are more efficient use a lesser amount of energy and water, which is better for the environment and saves money. Traditional "mechanical" ways of cooling a data center, like air conditioning, can use a lot of energy and water. So, using current cooling systems that use less water and energy is especially helpful for cutting down on operational power costs.

Worker comfort

Even though comfort cooling isn't the main goal of data center cooling systems, it is important to keep the data center safe for people who work there, especially for short amounts of time.

How Do Data Center Cooling Systems Work?

Data center cooling uses a number of important parts and methods to keep the building at the right temperature and humidity. Some of these are server cooling, computer room cooling (or server room cooling), managing airflow, removing heat, treating fluids, and controlling humidity.

Server Cooling

Server cooling means lowering the temperature of IT devices by getting rid of the heat that processors, memory, and other parts of the server produce. As a result of changing energy from electricity to heat, these parts produce strong heat that needs to be cooled.

Computer Room Cooling

Computer room cooling, also called server room cooling, keeps the temperature and humidity of the computer room(s) in a data center stable. It does so by removing the heat and moisture that come from the IT equipment, like servers, storage devices, and networking gear. In this case, the main goal is to make sure that the room is always cool all over, so there are no hot spots.

Airflow Management

Airflow management is the process of controlling the direction, speed, and quality of airflow through HVAC systems. This makes sure that cool air is distributed evenly and hot air is removed from the data center. This process is important for keeping hot and cold air separate in both server rooms and computer rooms. It is done with containment strategies, raised floors, roof return plenums, blanking panels, and specialized ventilation systems.

Heat Rejection 

The process of heat rejection moves the heat that computers and other IT equipment make from inside the data center to somewhere outside of it. A heat exchanger is generally used for this. A heat exchanger moves heat from one fluid to another, like air to water. The chosen fluid takes in and gets rid of the heat, which cools the equipment effectively. Next, the data center's heat is sent to somewhere outside. It is usually released into the air, but it could also be sent to the ground or a body of water nearby.

Fluid Conditioning

The cooling fluids used in the data center, like water, refrigerants, or glycol, need to be maintained and treated. This is called "fluid conditioning." It involves controlling the fluid's temperature, flow, treatment, and management to make sure it keeps receiving and moving heat around the data center.

Humidity Control

Controlling humidity in a data center means keeping the right amount of humidity. It is done by using machines that add or remove moisture from the air, called humidifiers and dehumidifiers. Hygrometers and monitors that measure the amount of water in the air are used to keep an eye on humidity levels in data centers.

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Data Center Cooling Technologies and Systems

Following are the data center cooling technologies and systems,

• Calibrated Vectored Cooling (CVC): CVC is a type of cooling system made just for high-density servers that is used in data centers. It improves the flow of air through the equipment so that the cooling system can handle heat better. This lets more circuit boards fit into each server case while using fewer fans.
• Chilled Water System: A popular way for mid-to-large-sized data centers to cool down is with chilled water, which uses hot water to cool the air that comes in through air handlers (CRAHs). There is a chiller machine somewhere in the building that provides water.
• Cold Aisle/Hot Aisle Containment: The use of alternating rows of "cold aisles" and "hot aisles" is a popular way to set up server racks in a data center. In a cold lane, cold air comes in through the front of the racks, and hot air leaves through the back of the racks. The hot aisles send hot air into the air conditioning vents, where it is cooled and then sent back into the cold aisles. In order to keep things from getting too hot or cold, empty racks are filled with blank screens.
• Computer Room Air Conditioner (CRAC): CRAC units are one of the most popular parts of any data center. They work a lot like regular air conditioners, with a compressor pulling air across a cooling unit that is full of refrigerant. This equipment is extremely affordable, but it does not use energy very efficiently.
• Computer Room Air Handler (CRAH): A CRAH machine is part of a larger system that includes a chilled water plant, also known as a chiller, somewhere in the building. Inside the unit, chilled water runs through a cooling coil. The coil then uses modulating fans to bring air in from outside the building. Since CRAH units work by cooling outside air, they work much better in places where it gets colder throughout the year.
• Raised Floor: A raised floor is a frame that holds up the floor of the data center above the concrete slab floor of the building. The space between them is used for pipes that cool water or make air move better. Power and network lines are sometimes run through this area as well, but with newer ways of cooling data centers, these wires are now run above the floor.

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Innovations in Data Center Cooling Technology 

A lot of changes have been made in the last few years that have made cooling in data centers more efficient and cheaper. In the past, cooling systems mostly used CRAC/CRAH units.

Today's data center cooling technology has come up with some great new ideas such as, 

• Direct-to-chip cooling: Direct-to-chip cooling is a fresh approach to cooling electronics with liquid. Tubes carry the liquid water to the chip. The coolant takes in the chip's heat and sends it away, immediately cooling the processor. Direct-to-chip cooling is thought to be one of the best and most efficient ways to get rid of heat in a data center.
• Two-phase immersion cooling: In this two-phase liquid immersion cooling, electrical parts are put into a bath of a dielectric heat-transfer liquid. This fluid is a better heat carrier than air, water, or oil because it only boils at 50° C. The heat transfer is quietly helped by the vapor that is made when the liquid interacts with the heat-generating parts. 
• Geothermal cooling: Geothermal cooling is an old technology that many data centers have not used even though it is efficient, cheap, and good for the environment. This cooling system works like an air conditioner or air-source heat pump. It takes heat from the air inside the data center and moves it to a different place.
• Microchannel liquid cooling: Microchannel liquid cooling is a type of direct-to-chip liquid cooling that includes cold plates that cool CPUs, GPUs, and memory units directly. A lot of surface area can be cooled with this method, and the small fluid channels make it easy for the flowing coolant to contact the hot surface.
• Microconvective liquid cooling: Multi-nozzle microconvective liquid cooling uses small fluid jets inside small cooling units. This has changed how well chips cool down. This technology was made to help apps with the densest compute profiles run faster. 
• Calibrated vectored cooling (CVC): IBM created calibrated vectored cooling (CVC) in 2005 so that it could be used with its blade server series and other devices that were close to its computers. CVC has made cooling technology much more effective by improving and optimizing the flow of cool air in server systems and computers.

Read: USD 7 Billion Hyper-Scale Data Center Campuses in the US and Europe

Conclusion 

Data center cooling systems are essential for maintaining the ideal operating conditions within data facilities. Temperature and humidity levels are controlled well by these systems. It ensures peak performance, prevents downtime, extends the life of equipment, saves energy and creates a comfortable work environment. 

As cooling technologies change, they are changing how efficient and environmentally friendly data centers work. These changes include going from standard methods like CRAC units to new ones like direct-to-chip cooling and two-phase immersion cooling. Adopting these new technologies improves performance. They also make data centers in line with goals for economic and environmental sustainability. This contributes to a major change in how modern infrastructure is managed.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Here are some frequently asked questions about the topic:

What cooling system is used in data center?

CRAC units are common in data centers. They are operated by a compressor that utilizes airflow through a cooling system. Despite their inefficiency, CRAC units are relatively affordable.

Why are data centers cooled?

Data centers are cooled in order to reduce the heat produced. Failing to manage the heat and airflow inside a data center can have negative effects on a business.

Why are data centers so hot?

Data centers experience significant heat generation from the continuous operation of servers and other devices hosting IT equipment. In general, all the electricity supplied to the IT equipment is transformed into heat.

What is the maximum temperature for a data center?

The ideal H1 temperature range is between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius (64.4 and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The permitted temperature range is 5 to 25 degrees Celsius (41 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit).

Which type of cooling is best?

Water cooling, also known as liquid cooling, is one of the most effective ways to cool down a PC because water is very good at moving heat around. Water blocks, a pump, a radiator, lines, and, if desired, a reservoir make up a liquid cooling system.

Read: Blackstone is Planning to Buy Data Center Construction Firm Winthrop for $878 Million

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