www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I September 2023 43
Professionals who care
HOW TO COOL THE DATA CENTRE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
By Michael Young , Pr . Eng .
MICHAEL YOUNG
Michael Young is a trainer , coach and mechanical engineer in the HVAC industry . He graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in the field of Mechanical Engineering ( B . Sc . Mech Eng .) in 2008 and qualified as a Professional Engineer ( Pr . Eng ) in 2013 . Michael is passionate about promoting knowledge and helping other young engineers grow within the industry through his training workshops and coaching sessions .
Part 1 : How Environmental Sustainability Is Paving the Way for New Cooling Technology
The world has become more automated and digital with the introduction of IoT ( also known as the ‘ Internet of Things ’). This rapid advancement in technology has created a data centre industry that is rapidly growing to support this transformation .
It is estimated that data centres consume approximately 1-2 % of the global energy use which has shaped the way consumers , regulations and businesses operate within this growing industry .
So , what is sustainability and what are the key driving factors behind this transformation ? Sustainability is made up of three dimensions , namely environmental , social and governance . When dealing with the cooling of a data centre , the primary focus is environmental sustainability .
Environmental sustainability is all about protecting natural resources such as the atmosphere , water and land for future generations . This trend has become the driving factor for large transformation within the industry as internet giants ,
large corporations and co-location providers are all working to accomplish a net zero emission goal .
These large firms have focused on environmental sustainability to comply with regulations , reduce operational costs , improve competitiveness within the market and to attract more investments by using new cooling technologies .
The demand for environmental sustainability has caused cooling manufacturers to develop products that utilise refrigerants that have a low global warming potential ( GWP ) and a low atmospheric life . A phase down process and phase out of refrigerants with high GWP has already begun with a phase down of refrigerants that contain hydrofluorocarbons ( HFCs ) in 2019 .
Developed countries are aiming to reduce the use of HFCs by 85 % by 2036 and developing countries are aiming to reduce the use of HFCs by 80 % in 2045 . Each country has been allocated a specific phase down table as defined by the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol .
The need to reduce energy consumption and monitor one ’ s carbon footprint has shaped the way in which data centres are designed . Guidelines as specified by ASHRAE have been adopted in the design of all new data centres where the operating air temperature within the white space is being pushed to its maximum condition .
Raising the operating conditions of the white space has led to the development of an indirect free cooling type of technology that has been applied for both DX and chilled water systems . The need to hyper scale and provide an energy efficient cooling effect has led to the invention of the fan wall unit and liquid cooling . Such variation in cooling demand has also led to the development of advanced control of the cooling units whereby technicians are now required to work with engineers to execute a data centre deployment strategy .
This is how environmental sustainability has driven the development of cooling technology . If you would like to learn more about the latest development of refrigerants , drop us an email on michael @ myengineeringcoach . co . za or stayed tuned for next month ’ s publication .
Wishing you a successful month ahead . RACA
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I September 2023 43