Advanced technologies for data center cooling is here

BANGALORE, INDIA: Danfoss India suggested cost-effective application solutions that can help lower the power consumption of datacenters by over 50 percent.

In the recent past, data centre infrastructure has been challenged with ever changing server technologies and high power consumption. Currently, the power consumed by data centre industry is equivalent to 300 Million households, and accounts for close to 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Maximum power consumption is accounted for by the cooling requirement of servers and other electronic equipment in data centres.

Server density, safety of electronics, energy efficiency and environment regulations are driving this industry in the speed that traditional cooling technologies are not able follow. The cooling solutions are moving from facility to aisle to rack to chip.

Over a decade the load of servers per rack (7.5Sqft) has increased exponentially from 5KW to roughly 50KW, which calls for complete shift in cooling systems design. Adapting components like electronic expansion valves and variable speed compressors into air-conditioning units can match the varying loads.

Safety of electronics in the data center is very important as the data is stored and no compromise on that part. A refrigerant based distribution instead of water would eliminate the risk. Low inrush current for components like compressors can reduce the chance electrical hazards.

India being the desired destination for data processing outsourcing is constantly evaluating scalability of datacentres to meet the increasing computing demand. As an outcome these large and high energy consuming facilities produce greater amounts of heat and today's challenge is not only to remove this heat, but to do it in an energy efficient manner.

Reducing energy consumption is even more important in India considering the fact that it takes four times more energy to produce power in India compared to China. Danfoss, a leading player in the Climate & Energy space has enabled datacentre scalability globally by enhance their PUEs (Power Usage Effectiveness) by simply replacing their fixed speed compressors with variable speed compressors that has helped reduce 70 percent of in-rush current.