Data Centers in the Mist
Welcome to Purkay Labs’ Keep Your Cool blog - a series about tackling simple cooling optimization strategies for the busy data center operators by a former busy center manager, Gregg Haley.
Do you notice during the drier winter months, you tend to get a shock now and then? It’s because when the humidity levels are low, static electricity is more likely to occur. Conversely, when humidity levels are high, condensation and higher dew points can occur.
In the Data Center application, it’s essentially to talk about the different methods of humidification.
ASHRAE now states that a Class A1 Data Center can safely operate in the 20% - 80% humidity range. This allows for lower humidification set points with the added benefit of energy savings.
The question to ask is: What type of humidification system are you using in your Data Center - heat based humidifiers, Evaporative (Adiabatic) Humidification Systems/Ultrasonic Systems??
Heat based humidifiers typically heat a tray of water with infrared tubes creating steam (the humidification), which is then injected into the cold supply to raise the humidity level. I always thought this was so counterproductive. Consuming energy to cool the air, then consuming more energy to create steam, finally injecting the hot steam into the airflow you just worked to cool. Can you hear me screaming “ARGGHHH” as Charlie Brown does when Lucy pulls the football just as Charlie is going to kick it?
Evaporative humidification is significantly more energy efficient with ultrasonic humidifiers are estimated to be 97% more energy efficient than what the standard heat based systems consume in energy.
So how does it work?
Ultrasonic humidification systems release a super fine mist which evaporates almost immediately, creating humidification and actually cooling the air as it does so. A win-win over the legacy systems that create steam. With the current use of “free cooling” via economisers bringing outside air into the data center, what is the impact on rainy or foggy weather days?
But how do you know if the humidification is dispersing evenly across the white space?
With Purkay Labs’ AUDIT-BUDDY™ system you can take quick relative humidity measurements at three different heights and automatically generate a Static Humidity Map.
The benefit is you can see how the relative humidity changes across the aisle and across the vertical heights of the cabinets.
The answer is to take quick baseline measurements of your relative humidity in the white space. With Purkay Labs’ AUDIT-BUDDY System, you can easily collect RH% data at three different heights. By measuring what’s happening in your white space, you’ll easily be able to manage the humidity and not the condensation on the racks.
About the Author
Gregg Haley is a data center and telecommunications executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience. Most recently served as the Senior Director of Data Center Operations - Global for Limelight Networks. Gregg provides data center assessment and optimization reviews showing businesses how to reduce operating expenses by identifying energy conservation opportunities. Through infrastructure optimization energy expenses can be reduced by 10% to 30%.
In addition to Gregg's data center efforts, he has a certification from the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRII) as Business Continuity Planner. In November of 2005, Gregg was a founding member and Treasurer of the Association of Contingency Planners - Greater Boston Chapter, a non-profit industry association dedicated to the promotion and education of Business Continuity Planning. Gregg had served on the chapter's Board of Directors for the first four years. Gregg is also a past member of the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). Gregg currently serves as the Principal Consultant for Purkay Labs.