WSP brochure - 2017

TAKING DATA CENTRE COOLING TO A HIGHER LEVEL PROJECT PARTNERS

TAKING DATA CENTRE COOLING TO A HIGHER LEVEL

Written by Dale Benton Produced by Lewis Vaughan

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Karl Luck, Director, Head of Power Systems at WSP

Through an innovative cooling system, WSP looks to firmly establish itself as a data centre player of choice

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s a leader in data centre design, WSP has an impressive portfolio, one that encompasses government departments, public sector organisations, financial institutions and commercial corporations.

The data centre industry is booming, and WSP is strategically positioned to capitalise on this rapidly expanding market. “There is a major increase in the interest in data centres and data centre designs, and that’s a direct result of people understanding more and more about them,� says Karl Luck, Director, Head of Power Systems at WSP. Luck believes that this greater understanding of not only data centres, but the data centre market itself, can be attributed to the role of major players like HP, Microsoft and even Google turning their attentions towards data centres.

KEEPING IT COOL One of the greatest challenges that comes with data centres is power and heat. As data centres process

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Cooling + Humidity Control + Energy Saving: Is there one solution?

Guidelines now allow a wider tolerance of both temperature and humidity and consequently the need to humidify has decreased in several contexts and in some applications is no longer a necessity.

As occurred with temperature however, there are only certain system layouts that push the conditions to the limit, following the ASHRAE guidelines. All data centres, particularly colocation centres that do not host their own ICT equipment, need to guarantee a high service level and find it difficult to adopt these requirements due to the related risks, such as electrical discharges and consequently opt for traditional designs and approaches to humidification and cooling.

Many operators feel a sense of uncertainty, torn between the new design criteria with the related risks, and the need to save energy, but can these seemingly opposing needs be reconciled?

One of the most effective humidification and cooling solutions involves the use of adiabatic high pressure spray systems, such as the CAREL humiFog. This technology entails adding moisture to an air stream, in such a way that evaporation absorbs some of the heat contained in the air, effectively resulting in a simultaneous increase in humidity and significant decrease in temperature.

This effect is exploited for the purpose of providing cooling with very low energy consumption, and is referred to as evaporative cooling.

Evaporative cooling is increasingly used in new generation data centres in which the design conditions are close to the limits suggested within the guidelines, for example by ASHRAE. This is made possible by the layout of hot aisles and cold aisles, with careful design of air flows and good separation between the air entering the racks and the exhaust air.

The higher operating temperature and humidity allow the use of outside air (free cooling) via air handling units when the outdoor temperature is favourable (for example, below 25°C), whilst when the outside air is hotter and drier,

evaporative cooling can be adopted, increasing humidity up to and above 60% and reducing the temperature down to acceptable values, simply through the evaporation of water. The effectiveness of such systems depends significantly on local temperature-humidity conditions, nonetheless in much of continental Europe both free cooling and evaporative cooling can be exploited for most of the year, some data centres are designed to use mechanical cooling as an emergency backup system only.

The increasing popularity of the humiFog system demonstrates how humidification in winter can be provided by simply adopting the same evaporative cooling system used in summer, thus reconciling humidity control with energy saving, with provision of modulating operation and temperature and humidity control to manage air recirculation. The use of a matrix of nozzles and high pressure pumps to create minute droplets of water ensures optimum absorption. The inverter control and modulated atomised water production responds efficiently to varying load conditions with serial communication allowing working set point adjustment to suit different environmental conditions.

The choice of the system depends on numerous factors, ranging from available space to required efficiency and the need for modulation. In general, the solution needs to be evaluated in terms of TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) throughout the system’s working life, also taking into consideration its resilience in terms of continuous operation as well as water consumption, which in many areas may be a critical factor. Indeed, many data centres, together with the classic PUE for energy consumption also monitor WUE as regards water consumption.

In conclusion, the increasingly frequent adoption of adiabatic systems can help overcome the dilemma between humidity control and cost reductions, thanks to new, increasingly reliable technologies and reduced energy consumption.

Fundamental for system optimisation is the CAREL integration with control open protocol systems.

“There were a lot of new cooling systems coming into play.

But there was a flaw.

They had fixed set points that required a set temperature and system. This didn’t allow for any versatility of agility regarding external environmental factors” Karl Luck, Director, Head of Power Systems, WSP huge volumes of data, this generates a lot of heat in the server and a large proportion of a data centre’s energy usage comes from trying to cool the servers and mitigate the heat.

It is a challenge that the industry continues to try and overcome, with those major players investing significantly into new, innovative and, most importantly, cost effective cooling systems.

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“Over recent years there’s been a drive away from direct cooling systems because they are energy inefficient,” says Luck. “Most of the electricity that goes into a data centre comes out as heat and companies are spending more and more on trying to get that heat out.”

Traditionally, data centre designs have incorporated a standardised direct cooling system. But as

WSP has an extensive portfolio comprising major clients all over the world Luck explains, for every 1KWh entering the data centre, it would require 600w to remove the heat.

This saw an industry wide move away from this system, experimenting in water cooling and air cooling systems to bring consumption down and realise significant cost savings in the process.

“There were a lot of new cooling systems coming into play,” says

Luck. “But there was a flaw.

They had fixed set points that required a set temperature and system. This didn’t allow for any versatility of agility regarding external environmental factors.”

This is where WSP, through Luck and his Power Systems team, has developed what he feels to be a unique cooling solution, one that utilises fresh air cooling

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The right solution

for every data centre project

Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) <0.1 l/kWh

Power Usage Effectiveness (pPUE) < 1.05 *based on London UK weather data

Email: marketing.uk@flaktgroup.com Website: www.flaktgroup.com

European market leader for energy efficient Air Handling Technology Solutions, providing our Customers with the highest quality standards.

- Global availability and supply with 19 manufacturing sites.

- The right solution for every data centre project.

- Excellent sustainability credentials combined with exceptionally low running costs.

- Configurable & modular design based on 40 years experience in the air handling industry.

and floating set point controls.

“It optimises the energy efficiency by adjusting the amount of direct fresh air and humidity in the system, all the while factoring in external factors such as the weather,” he says. “It’s the first time it has been done and has been in operation now for around six months, delivering a PUI of 1.1 which is a significant energy saving.”

INDUSTRY PROWESS In order to develop an innovative solution and continue to be the

manufacturer of choice in the data centre space, Luck needed a team of engineers that possessed the skills but also the knowledge to push the boundaries of data centre design and engineering.

WSP has always had people in the business focused on the mission critical electrical engineering and data centre space, but Luck worked to centralise this team and harness the experience of more than 17 years in the business.

“We’ve got guys who have been here for a long time and bring strong WSP utilises the knowledge of its in-house engineers to push the boundaries of data centre and engineering

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WSP focuses on attracting and retaining the most experienced mechanical engineers in the industry

“We have to keep an eye on developments in the market, because we don’t want to fall behind... our new cooling system is a testament to staying ahead” Karl Luck, Director, Head of Power Systems, WSP

experience into the Power Systems team,” he says. “We have had to hire externally as well, so mechanical engineers who have worked for some of the major players in the market and worked as contractors. It’s about bringing all that experience together and making something special.”

As a market that is exploding and growing at a rapid rate, Luck is all too aware of the changing landscapes in the data centre sector.

Technology and innovations

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As a market that is exploding and growing at a rapid rate, Luck and his team are leading in the changing landscape of data centre design continue to disrupt the data centre industry and that stretches beyond cooling systems. Even as market leaders, WSP must keep an eye on the other players in the space.

“We have to keep an eye on developments in the market, because we don’t want to fall behind,” he says.

“If we don’t, we risk falling behind and offering inefficient technologies, and our new cooling system is a

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testament to staying ahead.”

WSP has an extensive portfolio comprising major clients all over the world, but the company must continue to deliver something new to differentiate itself from other players in the market.

“You need a different approach with a unique offering in terms of energy savings or technology and I firmly believe that we do,” says Luck.

solution that can be modulated, adapted, in order to enable future savings and efficiencies.”

But Luck also sees the value in going beyond offering a new technology solution.

“You ned to look at ways you can improve your offering, seek out issues and fix them, you can’t just turn up, do your thing and then leave,” says Luck.

“There’s an educational aspect to it from day one. With a data centre, you need to establish a user’s take-up in order to deliver a sustainable

A CENTRE OF GROWTH WSP does not make data centres.

Luck and his team design data centres and data centre solutions.

The key element for Luck is the suppliers the company works with.

“Without the manufacturers, nothing comes alive,” he says. “Our cooling system would remain as an idea on a piece of paper. Our suppliers bought into our ideas and processes from day one and allowed us to realise our idea and enable key savings for our end users.”

As the data centre space continues to grow, WSP will grow along with it.

WSP has a goal to be the company of choice and Luck believes that through his team, the company has the capacity to continue pushing the boundaries and firmly establish its capabilities in the market.

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