Air Flow Assessment
It is important to keep in mind that a combination of materials and/or systems are often used to achieve the most effective overall solutions. The best air flow configurations are determined individually, to achieve an optimal use of space, design and functionality for the computer server equipment housed in the data center room.
Assessing air flow management systems
Air flow management in Data Centers is necessary to meet the objectives for data server stability and equipment longevity. Air flow management has escalated in recent times at the workplace. Rising costs and energy use has increased with the use of more computer power. Environmental awareness has signaled a demand for more internal control of resourceful cooling which require that air flow patterns and air purification systems work together.
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Hot vs. Cold aisle airflow patterns
Data center and server room containment
Air Flow Management and Air Flow Containment have important objectives:
- To protect critical equipment
- Lower the air temperature at the point of server intake
- Eliminate hot spots within the server racks
- Minimize or eliminate co-mingling of hot aisle and cold aisle air
- Prevent short cycling of cooled air
- To build safety features into the design to protect personnel and equipment
Open Areas to be considered for the management of Air Flow:
- Open spaces under cabinet racks
- Open slots within the cabinet rack
- Air bypass areas around and above the cabinets / racks
- Obstructions such as cable trays, upright columns, pipes, lighting fixtures
AmCraft employs best practices for managing air flow in hot aisle / cold aisle data centers:
- Raising the floor so the duct work and layout configuration can effectively manage airflow
- Use high cubic rack grills with outputs in the range of 600 CFM
- Locate all intake and output devices to utilize the best air flow and block unnecessary air movement paths
- Seal any open edges
- Install automatic doors for a complete seal (strip curtains provide adequate containment for smaller rooms)
Design a Data Center Enclosure
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