Computer room air conditioners are not just ordinary air conditioners – they need to be optimized to cool heavy duty information technology infrastructures, like rows of server cabinets and aisles of data centers. These air conditioners are used to keep the computer room cool despite the heat-intensive operation of the machinery inside the room. There are two types of computer room air conditioners; this article discusses each type.
Computer Room Air Conditioners: The Difference
Computer rooms, data centers, and other similar workplaces require the temperature-sensitive operation of computers and machinery like printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines, and networking utilities. These machines produce heat as they operate, so it’s important to control the temperature of the room with an air conditioner.
Unlike homes where you just want to keep the surrounding temperature comfortable, computer rooms have a generated heat source, and this comes in the form of server cabinets. These cabinets contain the networking mechanism of the computers, along with the power supply and other main parts of the entire system. The cabinets as well as the surrounding area need to have their temperature controlled. Therefore, the role of a computer room air conditioner is very different and is usually heavier as compared to a home air conditioner.
In-Row Cooling Technique
In-row cooling is the method that is usually administered for data centers. This involves the use of an air conditioning system which is installed between the server racks and rows of computer processors, which are the direct source of heat.
This means that the air conditioners are directed closer to the exact location of the heat source, allowing the cool air to contest with the hot air. But since air conditioners have a suction process of taking in warm air and processing it into cool air, the hot air in the server cabinets will be extracted by the air conditioner, process it, and release it as cool air in the same direction.
Not only does this eliminate the hot air directly from the sources, it also allows cool air to propagate throughout the entire room, providing maximum comfort for all the users and workers in the room.
Direct Expansion Air Conditioners
In order to optimize the cooling efficiency of computer room air conditioners, they are usually engineered as direct expansion air conditioners. Direct expansion refers to the process of air expansion straight from the room into the air conditioner. This means that the condenser and compressor are both located within a single system. When the air conditioner sucks in hot air, this air passes through the compressor and the heat is released into the condenser. On the other hand, the compressed air passes through the refrigerant tube and through the expansion unit that expands the cool air to be distributed evenly across the server units. The process is quick and efficient, and the cooling method is very effective.
Conclusion
Computer room air conditioners are essential for all companies and workplaces where computer systems are a major part of the business. In order to keep your computer rooms working with maximum efficiency while providing optimal comfort to all operators and users, computer room air conditioners should be incorporated in your data centers.