Server Room Air Conditioning & Design : Bucks, Berkshire, Oxford, Surrey, Middx
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Server Room Air Conditioning & Design
Table of Contents
Key Considerations for Server Room Design
As part of our quotation and site inspection, we help you assess the primary factors in server room design:
- Location
- Server Room Air Conditioning
- Fire Protection
- Power
- Redundancy
- Future Proofing
Server Room Location & Design
Choosing the Right Location
The location of your server room is critical before considering the layout. Ideally, avoid placing server rooms against exterior walls, as these can be damp and may contain water pipes that could burst and damage equipment.
Avoiding Common Hazards
- Exterior Windows – These present security risks and are prone to breakage.
- Top Floors & Basements – These locations can be susceptible to flooding or leaks.
- Proximity to Interference – Ensure the server room is not near radio transmitters, electrical power plants, or lift rooms that may cause interference.
Additional Design Considerations
Other factors to assess include room size, door sizes, access ramps, cable organisation, physical security, and maintenance access.
Server Room Air Conditioning
Why Air Conditioning is Crucial
Server rooms require controlled temperature and humidity for optimal performance and reliability. Close control air conditioning (PAC systems) provides precise temperature and humidity management, operates 24/7, and includes automatic alerts for any deviations.
Types of Server Room Air Conditioning Systems
1. Up-Flow Server Room Air Conditioning
Draws air into the front and bottom of the air handling unit (AHU).
- Cools the air over the heat exchanger.
- Distributes the cooled air through a discharge plenum or ductwork.
- Ideal for retrofitted server rooms without raised floors.
2. Down-Flow Server Room Air Conditioning
- Draws air into the top of the AHU.
- Cools the air over the heat exchanger.
- Distributes air through the floor void to server racks.
- Suited for new buildings with raised floors for ducting.
3. Direct Expansion (DX) Air Conditioning
- Ideal for small to medium-sized server rooms.
- Lower initial installation costs.
- Scalable for additional cooling capacity.
- Independent cooling units reduce system-wide failure risks.
4. Chilled Water Server Room Air Conditioning
- Best for larger server rooms and data centres.
- More efficient than DX systems due to reduced pipe runs.
- Higher initial investment due to pump room and piping requirements.
Determining Cooling Capacity
Cooling requirements depend on the heat output of your equipment. Overestimating cooling needs can lead to inefficiencies. Our team ensures an accurate calculation for cost-effective cooling solutions.
Server Room Fire Protection
Importance of Fire Protection
A robust fire protection system detects and suppresses fires while minimising disruption and ensuring personnel safety.
Types of Fire Suppression Systems
1. Inert Gas Systems
- Nitrogen-based IG55 or IG541 (Inergen) mixtures.
- Keeps oxygen levels below 15% to prevent combustion.
2. Hypoxic Air Systems
- Actively maintains low oxygen levels to prevent fires from starting.
3. FM200 Systems
- A widely used replacement for Halon.
- Cost-effective and efficient.
Server Room Future Proofing
Scaling for Growth
Server room requirements change over time. Future-proofing ensures easy scalability with minimal investment. For every 100kW of additional IT equipment, an extra 30kW of cooling is needed.
Optimising Rack Space
- Using telco racks or enclosed cabinets maximises space.
- 1U and blade servers enable higher density installations.
Server Room Air Conditioning Redundancy
Minimising Downtime Risks
Depending on business needs, removing single points of failure ensures uninterrupted operations. We offer:
- N+1 Redundancy – Ensures an extra backup cooling unit.
- 1+1 Redundancy – Fully redundant systems for seamless failover.
Conclusion
At Air Intelligence, we specialise in designing and installing server room air conditioning solutions tailored to your specific requirements. From precision cooling to fire protection and future-proofing, our expert team ensures that your server room remains efficient, secure, and scalable.
Contact us today to discuss your server room air conditioning and design needs.