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Cooling
Norway , they are heating fish farms . There are so many opportunities . When you reuse the heat , there is less of a need for cooling . It is one of the biggest opportunities that data centres could utilise .”
Thermal transport in a plate heat exchanger . Image courtesy of Alfa Laval .
Not only can the manufacturer make a difference in determining the crucial stats and acting upon them , but they can also be of great help regarding sustainability . “ We can make sure that we build in a sustainable performance throughout their lifecycle . Should the data centre have pollution issues onsite , then we can come in with additional technology that can give early warnings when the heat exchangers need to be cleaned and maintained .” “ The general mindset is focused on the here and now , but our heat exchangers are built to last for 20 to 30 years . We want to make sure they are up to standard throughout their entire lifecycle ,” Anna explains . “ It is important for us to be involved early in the process . We have a lot of knowledge about cooling systems in general that we can apply . We can make sure there ’ s a sound plan in place from the very start to make sure the product and the system will keep running sustainably throughout the lifecycle .” Of course , heat exchanger manufacturers are not always immediately involved . The bigger clients , who are mostly based in the US , are increasingly reaching out to them . Smaller contractors and installation companies , however , have much to gain . They often go for an initially cheaper method , which is to create a solution with different bits and pieces , instead of opting for an extensive cooling system to be installed from the very start . “ They think buying a component off the shelf is going to work ,” Anna explains . “ The challenge for this industry is that if they want to build truly sustainable data centres , they need to have the determination and stamina to cover the whole chain .”
Reusing the excess heat “ It ’ s also fantastic to see that the world is starting to look at data centres as heat plants ,” Anna says . “ We could heat up so much of the world with excess heat ; heat that is being wasted . Data centres have a huge potential to be heat plants and give away heat to surrounding users .” Here , heat exchangers take care of the waste heat and send it off to the location that needs heating up . This could be a district heating network , a local greenhouse , or an office building , for instance . “ In
Demand more For heat exchanger manufacturers , it ’ s important to keep on innovating and always strive to do better . One of Anna ’ s key philosophies is to demand more . “ At Alfa Laval , we keep tweaking . We press thinner and thinner plates to maximise the heat transfer . It ’ s a matter of tens of millimetres , and it makes a difference . My general message to this industry is to always demand more of your equipment , suppliers , and of your heat exchangers .” Heat exchangers are underutilised , she says . “ They ’ re being designed with too wide tolerances . If ( retroactively ) added to a data centre , they will work , but they can do so much more .” She encourages manufacturers to scrutinise every angle and millimetre and to always strive for improvement . The beauty of the heat exchanger is that they come in so many different shapes and sizes . There will always be a solution to fit the customer ’ s needs . As part of that process , it ’ s also possible to adapt over time by changing some settings or a spec . One of the things companies and customers alike should demand , according to Anna , is AHRI performance certification . AHRI is a standard requirement in the US , but not yet in Europe . Still , conforming to such a standard ensures good quality heat exchangers . As the data centre boom continues , opportunities for heat exchanger manufacturers increase . An , unfortunately , underutilised option is to reuse waste heat for heating up other facilities , making the cooling process not only much more efficient , but also killing two birds with one stone . One thing is clear : whatever data centre companies decide to do , there is much to gain from involving heat exchanger manufacturers from the very start . Doing so may be more expensive in its initial costs , but the improved life cycle costs will definitely be worth it .
About AHRI
The Air-Conditioning , Heating , and Refrigeration Institute ( AHRI ) is the trade association representing international manufacturers of heating , water heating , ventilation , air conditioning , commercial refrigeration ( HVACR ), and water heating equipment . The standards they produce ensure that various types of heating , ventilation , air conditioning , refrigeration , and water heating products perform according to manufacturers ’ published claims . Products bearing the AHRI Certified ® mark are proven to perform accurately and consistently . Backed by more than 100 years of research and development , international regulators and consumers rely heavily on AHRI ’ s industryleading certification programme for the accurate and unbiased evaluation of equipment . The association ’ s comprehensive roster of free equipment performance standards and guidelines are the basis for the certification programme and are adopted or harmonised worldwide .
40 Heat Exchanger World April 2023 www . heat-exchanger-world . com