For every business that makes use of networking and cloud computing, servers and data centers are pretty indispensable. However, having a data center and maintaining it for keeping a business running are two different faces of a coin.
For instance, the foremost thing to maintain in a data center is the temperature. Yes, the temperature affects its performance to a large extent. Notably, the data centers need to be kept cool at all times for optimum performance.
Why Cooling Data Centers Necessary?
Usually, a data center houses hundreds of computer systems. And, all the systems are operational at all times. For this reason, they constantly generate a lot of heat, which is drained into the surrounding environment.
At high temperatures, the computing performance of electronics is reduced. And in extreme cases, if the environmental temperature exceeds the threshold, it could even start a fire.
Thus, choosing the right cooling system for a data center plays a crucial role in keeping any online business running.
Types Of Cooling Systems
Though cooling systems are important for data centers, not all technologies can meet the needs. In other words, choosing the right cooling system for a data center would decide cost, performance, and productivity.
Certainly, there are several types of cooling systems designed for data centers. Keep reading to know more about them.
Evaporative Cooling
One of the most popular cooling technologies used in data centers is evaporative cooling. According to the experts at Reznor HVAC the technology is popular for its cost-efficiency. The technology, as the name suggests, uses evaporation to drain heat. In principle, it is quite similar to a desert cooler. It adds relative humidity to the air being supplied to the data center.
Pumped Refrigerant
Evaporative cooling technology, although highly cost-efficient, is mostly used for smaller data centers. However, with bigger data centers where thousands of computers and servers are installed, it might not prove to be as efficient as refrigerant cooling. Technically speaking, a refrigerant is pumped through aisles of servers to lower the temperature and gain heat.
Free Cooling
This one’s rather popular with ultra-small data centers. In structures where only a few heat sources are installed, free-flow cooling can reduce cooling costs, while improving performance. The air from outside is regulated inside and vice-versa. However, this method can also allow pollutants and moisture from outside to enter the data center. And, in the long run, this may damage the servers and other electronic components in the data center.
Chilled Water Circulation
In comparison to free-flow cooling, liquid cooling is surely more efficient. Pumped refrigerant cooling is also a type of liquid cooling technology. However, unlike refrigerants, water is not an effective heat absorber. To improve the cooling efficiency of water, it is usually chilled before circulating inside the data center. For the rest of the principle, this technology is more or less similar to pumped refrigerant cooling.
Datacenter cooling systems are not only important for their operational performance but also for the employees working in these facilities. Thus, regulating and maintaining data center temperature is important for commercial, financial, and personal reasons.
