Title: Data Center Cooling Strategies and Configurations
Course: 2016FA-MCO-110-401 > Section: Module 4: Facilities Maintenance and HVAC

Click here for a downloadable version of this document:(EXTERNAL) Data Center Cooling Strategies and Configurations

Some Common Data Center Cooling Strategies and Configurations

Containment

The containment or isolation of either hot or cold air in a data center is generally done in an effort to save money on energy. It provides more efficiency. With containment the hot and cold air do not mix as much resulting in less costs associated with adjusting the humidity.

Containment configurations often make use of a raised floor with perforated floor tiles for air flow. The perforations in the tiles can allow for cold air to be delivered. Heat built up in a cold aisle often uses the ceiling (and sometimes the plenum[1] above a drop tile ceiling) as a route back to the CRAC or other conditioner, this is called plenum return. In some configurations a chimney may be used to carry hot exhaust air up into the plenum.

Hot-air containment systems (HACS) encloses the hot aisle(s) in the server room. The hot air exhaust from the IT equipment is collected and the rest of the room is left to be a big cold air return area. Server racks must be set up in the hot-aisle/cold-aisle arrangement [24].

Cold-air containment systems (CACS) encloses the cold aisle(s) in the server room. The remainder of the room is used as hot-air return plenum. Server racks must be set up in the hot-aisle/cold-aisle arrangement [24].

In-row cooling (or inrow cooling) is a configuration for cooling in a data center that concentrates cooling at the rows of server cabinets/racks and is used with containment strategies. Because air does not have to travel far, this configuration offers better efficiency and air flow capacity than some other setups. Common versions of this configuration are overhead in-row cooling units and floor mount in-row units [25].

[1] Plenum – “An air-filled space in a structure; especially: one that receives air from a blower for distribution (as in a ventilation system) [34].

Objectives met:
- C4
- 4.8