Apr 2 2015
Upsite Technologies, Inc., a leader in data center airflow management solutions, announced today that it has released a new white paper comparing and contrasting Modular Data Center Containment and Legacy Data Center Containment.
Modular Data Center Containment. (Photo: Business Wire)
The white paper, AisleLok® Modular Containment vs. Legacy Containment: A Comparative CFD Study of Inlet Temperatures and Fan Energy Savings provides data center end-users with a comparison into data center containment. It also offers an analysis on the quickest return on investment (ROI) and energy reduction.
It is well established in the data center industry that Airflow Management (AFM) is a proven method for reducing IT equipment inlet temperatures and improving overall cooling efficiency. While there are many ways to attain proper airflow management, Upsite’s newest white paper examines two types of containment and their overall ability to improve AFM. The paper uses a theoretical 5,280 square foot data center that was designed to closely represent conditions and configurations found in operating data centers. All modeling was done using Future Facilities’ 6Sigma Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. Throughout the white paper, the authors highlight a number of scenarios that provide valuable information on how legacy and modular containment systems affect a variety of configurations. The simulations include changes to IT equipment inlet temperatures at the middle and ends of the aisle, and CRAH fan power.
While both Modular Containment and Legacy Containment were able to show significant improvements in airflow management in the model data center, Modular Containment had a number of advantages over Legacy Containment, including a much faster ROI and the convenience of self-installation. The white paper concludes that the additional benefits of modular containment systems— including easy and fast deployment with no construction activity, the lack of specialized labor needed for installation, and the ability of staff to make simple and quick modifications—make it a desired system for airflow management in many data centers.
“Modular Data Center Containment is a great low cost solution to improve data center airflow management and data center performance overall,” said Lars Strong, P.E. Senior Engineer, Upsite Technologies and co-author of the white paper. “With a significantly quicker ROI than Legacy Containment, low upfront costs and no need for third party installation services, Modular Data Center Containment opens up a new paradigm for improving AFM and the associated capacity and cost saving improvements.”