Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Tools
DCIM: What used to be a much simpler subject a few years ago has blossomed into a fast-developing part of the data center industry. Today it seems like there are many qualified tools and packages on the market to help with managing your white space, but also much beyond. This has mainly come from the […]
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CRAC vs. CRAH
I had this come up recently… what is a CRAC (pronounced ‘crack’)? What is different from it than a CRAH (pronounced ‘craw’ or ‘cray’)? CRAC = Computer Room Air Conditioner A CRAC is often thought of as having an internal compressor, thus not needing the support of a centralized chilled water system. But this also […]
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What do we want from CFD?
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of data centers has been going on for some time, but how does it help us? For an existing data center, do you want a CFD model to show you things you already know, such as hot or cold spots? 90% of the time we are using a CFD report […]
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Cooling Tower Water Storage
When operating your data center, often there are backup measures to keep things running during a power outage. Generators may be the first thing that comes to mind, as they bring power back during an outage, but along with that the cooling systems also need operate. As the heat is rejected through the mechanical systems, […]
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Energy Management Systems
Have you heard the phrase ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure?’ This is true for your data center, and having an energy management system in place with your hands on the reigns gives you a good means to measure and manage. An energy management system (EMS) is to let you see where your energy […]
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Warmer Chilled Water on Existing Systems
So we are looking to save energy, and one of those ways is increasing the chilled water temperature. But how does that save anything? Increasing the chilled water temperature brings it closer to the condenser water temperature and thereby reduces the amount of work (lift) a chiller has to perform. Since the chiller usually has […]
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Glycol & your system
Using glycol for your chilled water system will have dramatic effects and understanding how painful it can be to your efficiency is a must. Why are we using glycol? In most applications the use of glycol is to lower the fluid (most often water) freezing point. The more glycol that is used, the lower the […]
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Seismic Ratings
When do you need to have seismic rated equipment? Should you have all equipment rated for an earthquake or just redundant equipment? What equipment would be rated for a seismic event? Of course the answer to these questions is – it depends. The need for seismic rated equipment depends on the level of risk that […]
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What’s Your Battery Room Spill Plan?
When is the last time you thought about the plumbing in your data center? Likely, it is not often, but for your battery rooms it can be vitally important. From day to day, most lead-acid batteries are stable, but a spill management plan can address the many safety, health, and environmental concerns long before trouble […]
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Water Mist or Gaseous Suppression?
For data center fire suppression, this can be a tricky issue. Which is more dangerous? Which might hurt my IT equipment? Having either system is not dangerous, and is much more desireable than no protection. In this comparison, both are assumed to be ‘dry’ pipe systems, and therefore not a threat to IT equipment due […]
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