Keeping Cool In The Data Center

Faster, more powerful and dense computing hardware generates significant heat and imposes considerable data center cooling requirements. Traditional computer room air conditioning (CRAC) cooling methods are proving increasingly cost-ineffective and inefficient. Alcatel-Lucent have developed a white paper that shows data center operators an alternative cooling solution that can use up to 90% less energy.

Studies show that using the volume of room air as a heat exchange medium is wasteful and allows for substantial mixing of hot and cold air. Further, it limits cabinet/frame/rack density because it cannot effectively cool high heat density equipment that is spaced closely together.

A more cost-effective, efficient solution for maximizing heat transfer and enabling higher heat density equipment frames can be accomplished by utilizing properly positioned “phase change” or “two-phase” pumped refrigerant cooling methods. Pumping low pressure oil-free phase changing refrigerant through micro-channel heat exchangers can provide up to 90 percent less energy consumption for the primary cooling loop within the room. Additionally, if designed properly, a refrigerant-based system can be deployed to cool existing computing equipment, in existing IT cabinets, without extensive and expensive changes to the present data-center infrastructure.

The primary benefits of a two phase cooling solution include reduced energy requirements, optimized utilization of data center space, and lower OPEX and CAPEX. To find out more about two phase cooling get this white paper.

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About Kevin Normandeau

Kevin Normandeau, is a veteran of the technology publishing industry having worked at a variety of technology sites including PC World; AOL Computing; Network World; Geek.com and International Data Group (IDG). Kevin lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. When he is not in front of the computer (which is most of the time) he likes to get out to ski, hike and mountain bike.