Improving Data Centre Airflow

With today's servers generating higher heat loads, keeping the data centre cool and operating efficiently has never been more important. Poorly cooled data centres often suffer from hotspots, which left unmanaged can result in equipment failure. Higher heat capacities generated by servers requires more cooling capacity but a lot can be done to improve Data Centre airflow before adding more CRAC units.

1. Adopt a hot-aisle-cold-aisle layout.
2. Seal cable openings with KoldLok Raised-Floor Grommets to prevent cold air escaping.
3. Seal unused rack space with Blanking Panels to prevent hot exhaust air from servers recirculating to the front of the rack.
4. Having adopted a hot-aisle-cold-aisle layout above the plenum, do the same under the floor using the PlenaForm® Air Baffle System, which allows you to direct the cold air to the areas you need it.
5. For isolated, problematic areas, the HotSpotr under-floor air mover can provide the solution, by delivering cold air to the server racks. The HotSpotr HT-510 consists of a redundant matrix of high performance DC fans that are controlled by an intelligent thermostatic controller that delivers cooling air where and when it is needed, and in the right amount that helps eliminate hot spots.
6. Using Cold Aisle Containment allows you to target specific areas within the data centre to overcome cooling issues. Instead of the cold air being output all over the room it is contained within a targeted space where cooling is most needed.
7. For higher heat loads use Water Cooled Server Racks.