Hot aisle containment in data centers is a key strategy to improve energy efficiency and stability by physically isolating hot and cold airflow. It solves the problem of hot and cold mixing in the traditional open layout, thereby significantly reducing cooling energy consumption and improving the equipment operating environment. Understanding its principles, design points, and maintenance methods is crucial for data center managers.
What is Hot Aisle Cold Aisle Containment
Hot aisle cold aisle containment is a data center airflow management method. It arranges server cabinets in rows so that the front doors of the cabinets, which are the cold air inlets, face each other to form a cold aisle. The back doors of the cabinets, which are the hot air outlets, are back to back to form a hot aisle. Then, physical barriers such as curtains, hardtops or doors are used to seal the cold aisle or hot aisle to avoid mixing of hot and cold air.
This layout ensures that the cold air sent by the air conditioner can directly enter the air inlet of the equipment, and the hot air discharged by the equipment will be directly recycled to the air conditioning unit. It improves refrigeration system efficiency by eliminating airflow short circuits compared to an uncontained environment. After the containment actions were implemented, the temperature distribution in the data center became more even, and the risk of hot spots was significantly reduced.
How Hot Aisle Containment Works
This hot aisle containment system focuses on the path of hot air discharged from closed equipment. It arranges a roof or curtain above the hot aisle, and installs end doors on both sides of the channel to create a closed space. The hot air discharged by the server is limited to this channel and returns directly to the return air side of the air conditioner through the return air vent set on the ceiling or through the duct.
This design prevents hot air from spreading to other areas of the computer room, thereby allowing the air supply temperature of the chiller or air conditioner to be increased. Increasing the air supply temperature means that the workload of the air conditioning compressor is reduced and the natural cooling time is extended, ultimately achieving significant energy saving results. After many data centers adopted this solution, the PUE value was optimized.
Comparing the pros and cons of cold aisle containment
Closing the cold aisle on the air inlet side of the server is called cold aisle containment. The cold air is limited to the channel and loaded through the raised floor or air duct to ensure that the server can make full use of all the cold air. It has the advantages of relatively simple construction, less impact on the existing data center transformation, and operation and maintenance personnel can work comfortably outside the cold aisle.
However, its shortcomings also need to be noted: because the cold aisle is closed, the temperature inside it is relatively low, so there may be a risk of condensation, which requires strict control of humidity. At the same time, if the sealing effect of the cold aisle is not good, the leakage of cold air will lead to a decrease in energy efficiency. In comparison, hot aisle containment isolates high-temperature areas, which is more friendly to operation and maintenance personnel, but the transformation may involve more work on the top structure.
Why Data Centers Need Aisle Containment
As the power density of servers continues to increase, traditional models with mixed airflow properties are no longer able to meet cooling requirements. Data centers without containment often experience a mixture of hot and cold airflow. Some of the cold air is recycled by the air conditioner before it passes through the corresponding equipment. At the same time, some equipment overheats because it cannot obtain sufficient cooling capacity. This situation not only causes a waste of energy, but also poses a threat to equipment safety.
Aisle containment with precise airflow management will match cooling capacity to IT load. It can increase refrigeration efficiency by more than 30%, thereby reducing operating costs. For modern data centers that pursue green, low-carbon and high availability, containment systems have become standard configuration. It is not only a means of energy saving, but also an important infrastructure to ensure business continuity.
How to design a channel containment system
When designing, for the aisle containment system, detailed air flow simulations and heat load analysis must be performed beforehand. It is also necessary to determine whether to use cold aisle containment or hot aisle containment. This requires considering the layout of the computer room, the type of air conditioning, the power density of the cabinet, and future scalability. For high-density areas, under normal circumstances, priority will be given to thermal channel containment to cope with higher heat dissipation requirements.
The material used as a physical barrier needs to be selected with fire resistance, durability and ease of installation. The air flow path must be well planned, the air return must be balanced, and the fire protection system, lighting system and monitoring system must be integrated. For example, temperature and humidity sensors and smoke detectors need to be installed in the containment area. We can provide weak current intelligent item procurement services on a global scale. Professional design can maximize the containment effect so that new air flow-related problems will not arise.
Channel containment maintenance considerations
The key to keeping your containment system running efficiently is routine maintenance. Regularly check the tightness of the curtains. Also check the tightness of the door panels regularly. Regularly check the tightness of the roof and repair any cracks or openings to prevent airflow leakage. Clean the filters in the channels and clean the grilles in the channels to ensure unobstructed airflow. Monitor the pressure difference inside and outside the channels to maintain them within a reasonable range.
When operation and maintenance personnel enter a closed passage, they must follow safety procedures and pay attention to changes in temperature and humidity. Fire protection systems require special testing and certification for closed environments. In addition, when the layout of the computer room is changed or the equipment is updated, it is necessary to evaluate again, consider the effectiveness of the containment plan, and make adjustments if necessary. Good maintenance can ensure long-term energy savings and equipment safety.
After performing containment operations on hot aisles or cold aisles, what unanticipated or unexpected challenges or gains did your data center encounter? Welcome to share your experience in the comment area. If you feel this article is helpful, please like it and share it with more peers.
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