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Critical Systems Team
Malcolm Howe
Partner
Peter Liddle
Associate
What is Driving Change?
Rising
Environmental
Operating
Considerations?
Costs?
Shifts in Client /
User
Legislation?
Perceptions and
Expectations?
Developments
in IT
Equipment?
What are the Opportunities?
• Improved PUE
Increased Cooling • Reduced Operating Cost
Efficiency / • Reduced Carbon Emissions
Opportunity for • Smaller Utility & Back-Up Power
Supplies Needed
Free Cooling • More Attractive to Tenants
• Configuration of Site/Building
• Resistance to New Technology
• Concerns over unsealed data halls
Other Constraints • Constraints over Cabinet
Arrangement
• Capital Cost
Traditional Chiller + CRAC
Approach
Traditional Chilled Water System
18ºC Server
Inlet Temp
Traditional Chilled Water System
UPS Losses
Transformer Losses
VSD Losses
Generator Ancillaries
Tx no load losses
Miscellaneous
Fan Power
Chiller Power
The largest energy consuming element apart from the IT load is the Compressor
Optimised / Hybrid
Chiller + CRAC Systems
Optimised Chilled Water System
• Limited turn-down
capability
• PUE influenced by 20-23ºC Server
Compressor
Energy (kWh)
DAO –
Direct Air Optimisation
Direct Air Optimisation (DAO)
Where is the Energy Consumed?
Annual Energy Consumption
Best Practice: Direct Air Optimisation IT Load
Allowable Allowable
_ _
Data Hall
No requirement for floor void
Use of standard prefabricated ventilation plant
Large filter requirements and external
contamination exposure
Good opportunity for use of Evaporative
Cooling!
DAO schematic – Free-Cooling mode
Exhaust Air
Exhaust
Fans
Return Air
Damper
Supply Air
100% Free cooling
Mixing
Fresh Air Intake
Supply
Attenuator Evaporative
Fans
Cooler
Filters
Water
Supply
DAO Schematic – DAO + Evaporative Cooling
Exhaust Air
Exhaust
Fans
Return Air
Damper
Supply Air
100% Free cooling
Supply
Attenuator Evaporative
Fans
Cooler
Filters
Water
Supply
DAO Schematic – Direct Air + Active Cooling
Exhaust Air
Exhaust
Fans
Return Air
Damper
Supply Air
100% Free cooling
Supply
Attenuator Evaporative
Fans
Cooler
Filters
Water
Supply
16
DAO Schematic – Recirc. + Active Cooling
Exhaust Air
Exhaust
Fans
Return Air
Closed
Damper
Supply Air
100% Free cooling
Supply
Attenuator Evaporative
Fans
Cooler
Filters
Water
Supply
16
Shortfalls of DAO
• Back-up mechanical cooling plant must satisfy the full cooling load.
• Power reserve is required to support mechanical cooling plant:
• This applies to both the Utility Supply and Standby Generator
• Plant space is needed for DAO AHUs and Mechanical Cooling Plant.
Penthouse arrangement difficult to retro-fit into existing buildings
• Intensive air filtration required:
• Risk of contaminants entering the Data Hall
• Air pollutants may cause corrosion issues on IT equipment over
time
• Extensive humidification (water consumption):
• Spray humidifiers may lead to dust problems within Data Halls
• Complex control strategy to address multi-mode operation.
18
IAO –
In-Direct Air Optimisation
Indirect Air Optimisation (IAO)
Evaporative Heat-Exchange Solution
18
IAO - Schematic
Exhaust Supply
Fans Fans
HX
Water
Supply Air
Supply
16
Cundall Studies
IAO Free-Cooling
Region
pPUE Chiller pPUE
20 YEARS
ASHRAE Fundamentals 20yr design data
MIN (oC DB) MAX (oC DB)
-7.9 27.8
18
Weather Scatter Plot - Dublin
IAO Overlay
30
30
25
20
20
15
15
10
10
Adiabatic Spray
5
Humidification
5
0 Mixing with (No Mechanical
Warm Data Cooling)
Hall Air
0
-10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Dry Bulb Temperature (°C)
Wrap-up & Conclusion
When looking for a solution, Digital have to consider the long term scenario of say 10 - 15 years as
Digital Realty Trust for example pension funds are among likely investors.
Digital adopt the use of a combination of direct/indirect/chilled water and are an advocate of indirect
air optimisation.
Direct could be considered slightly more energy efficient without heat exchange etc.
There is also a space requirement to consider when looking at these new cooling systems and
limitation of large air handling units on real estate.
New Data Centres will continue with legacy equipment as some data centres cannot fit all of the
Cundall equipment in, new cooling systems have demonstrated that more space is required.
Perception is that there is not a great understanding of cooling trends in some sectors. We have
recently reviewed documentation where PUE has been requested within them. One in particular
had “PUE shall be no greater than 1.25” and then described a conventional chiller and CRAC
solution which can not achieve this figure therefore there is obviously no understanding of what is
required to deliver but there is a realisation that it is important to drive down energy.
We have seen sites designed for 600kw and have been using 130kw and have been in operation
Virtus for 2 years. Plant is therefore massively oversized. The site will only get more efficient as the load
is taken up and the IT is addressed.
The market is restricted to Munters and Excool out there at the moment
Group Discussion
This can be a problem dealing with perception when trying to sell to tenants.
Cundall
Yes, especially at the corporate level.
Virtus
Tenants generally are not interested in PUE, they are only interested in TCO (total cost of
Virtus ownership), i.e. how much is it going to cost me.
It might be good to see somebody like the Green Grid doing a study of tenant perception for the
Cundall direct and indirect air schemes.
Perception is strange, for example, a raised floor is not necessarily needed with indirect air
Virtus optimised scheme, however, sites have been built with a floor just because there is an expectation
to see one.
The change incorporating 2 steps is possibly too far to go at the moment from conventional to
Virtus having no CRAC units or raised floor at the same time.
In the schemes you have looked at on site how has the return air path been dealt with?
HSBC
Usually by hot aisle containment although the site visited had the solution shoehorned in and the
area was about 6 metres in height with no hot aisle containment and despite concerns the system
Virtus
worked as intended.
Group Discussion
Comparison of Cooling Techniques (continuation)
Note raised by Discussion Material
Most of the data centres operated or run by those present will look very similar in terms of what is
HSBC provided inside and its only with the advent of these two supplier led solutions in response to
reducing efficiency that help to get down energy levels. We would have to see examples of the
systems working for this to be considered as a viable option.
If the colo world is to drive this, it will attract financial institutions we need more players and it is in
its infancy at moment, but the benefits we can see are huge.
Yes, but putting costs aside, the beauty about the solution is that it is really simple in terms of
Virtus technology, basic fans etc. and as a consequence there is also a reduction in BMS points etc.
For a global solution, there is a requirement to be consistent about technology used; therefore it will
HSBC be easier to manage.
Virtus The biggest problematic area for Data Centres at the moment is BMS and failures, etc. i.e.
dampers not closing where required, and pumps or valves not opening.
HSBC Any facility is business driven, and as such design can be dumbed down for example there
probably only is about 15% of the IT system that needs critical support, but has 100% backed up.
The design can be optimised with, high resilience for the critical15% and make further choices to
categorise type of technology that dual infrastructure is needed for.
The regulatory and compliance requirements can be fulfilled quite easily with this approach.
Group Discussion
Comparison of Cooling Techniques(continuation)
Note raised by Discussion Material
Cundall A question for the Financial Institutes – do you think if there are more people who offer this the
more attractive it becomes?
HSBC No one wants to be the first, but have to look at innovative developments going forward. Senior
boards will drive this when they familiarise themselves with what can be achieved by reducing
requirements like PUE.
There may be more attractive solutions out there but with some of the Colo stuff it is easier to go
with the global solutions that exist currently, we therefore may need to revisit again at some stage
in the future.
Cundall Will we ever see a system that goes water cooled instead of air?
Cundall In Dublin we saw a system that had server boards water-cooled to processes but this was due to
high-energy use application like CGI.
Talking to six sigma on CFD side, they are not seeing a threat to their market to drift away from air
cooled to water-cooled.
There are other cooling mediums e.g. CO2 which has been around for some time but has not been
developed further.
HSBC One of the biggest challenges is the manufacturers attitude to raising temperatures within ASHRAE
Standard and their reluctance to accept that the temperature bands can be increased, IBM in
particular are happy continuing with the temperatures they have always operated at.
HSBC There is also a requirement for a strong partnership with IT to look at how it all goes together etc.
without impeding server locations and maintaining airflow.
Group Discussion
Cundall We have also discovered Server fans are set to run mode from the factory default and could be
changed to Eco mode and quite a lot of energy can be saved by simple dipswitch enabling.
Facebook also deliberately pressurise the room with respect to the hot aisle to try to force air
through the server as a way of reducing server load, as the main plant is more efficient in shifting
air than the localised server fans.
However, the downside of this is that the PUE may increase, as the server fans are not included in
the PUE calculation.
Because this cooling system is conceptually brand new there is no standardised way of testing a
unit. At a recent factory test we asked for the method statement and then set about producing one
in conjunction with the supplier and then implemented it. There are standards for individual
components etc. but not for indirect cooling but applies to cooling towers etc.
Virtus We have witnessed a mock up area and a CFD model was required which subsequently showed
that the system mock-up was working satisfactorily.
Perhaps if the product were not named it would be more successful its nothing new why not call it a
direct air handling unit or indirect air CRAC unit to gain acceptance.
Cundall Why is it only coming in now? The ASHRAE Standard has widened the operating environmental
envelope.
US Congress started to drive this and looked at some desk top PC’s and realised that they were
not taking the expected loads etc. and also wondered why do you need this control?
Group Discussion
HSBC Perhaps what comes from this is that we need to open up this forum to a wider group, HSBC would
certainly be interested in talking with colleagues throughout global offices perhaps on web in air.
The forum is greatly needed in the sector and it is good that it’s independent.
Cundall We will open up to a wider audience and will look at further topics for discussion for example DCIM
and will circulate to all interested parties.
We will certainly take HSBC up on the offer of a web in air to their colleagues.