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| Award winning data centre at Aberdeen University uses EcoCooler's with EU4 filtration |
As data centres get larger and loads
get heavier, the need for effective cooling increases operating costs. The same
can be said for general cooling needs. With larger spaces comes a greater need
for cost-efficient cooling. For the longest time, air-cooling has been the
preferred model for commercial and data centre space. The air-cooling of the
modern era is based on using fresh air to draw heat away from interior spaces.
The downside to fresh air-cooling is the need for additional filtration.
So how much filtration do you need
for fresh air-cooling? Coming up with a concrete formula for determining
filtration levels is difficult at best. It requires looking at a whole host of
factors, including:
·
the space and equipment involved
·
heat output of equipment
·
ambient indoor temperature desired
·
average local temperatures
·
average local pollution amounts.
The main problems with commercial cooling
systems and air quality are:
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| EU4 filtration fitted to the ceiling of a datacentre cold aisle |
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Pollutants and Contaminants –
Despite increased efforts toward reducing emissions and other sorts of
pollution, the fact is there are still plenty of contaminants in the air we
breathe. Our bodies are able to adapt to some degree, but a data centre cannot.
Pollutants and contaminants entering through a fresh air cooling system can
cause damage to equipment. The only way to eliminate such contaminants is
through appropriate filtering.
Without filtration in place, any
cooling system can cause significant problems in the data centre or large
commercial space. Fresh air-cooling requires more filtration because there are
more potential contaminants to deal with.
Evaporative
Cooling More Efficient
Direct evaporative cooling can be
bolted to a fresh air cooling system to reduce the supply air temperatures when
the air outside is hot, this requires special attention to be paid to
filtration. This also ensures free cooling is used to its maximum potential in
comparison to indirect system which will include losses over the heat
exchanger.
Figuring out what is best for
your space requires the knowledge and expertise of a cooling specialist.
