Fundamental of HVAC for IT

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Content
HVAC Terms The Refrigeration Cycle The Nature of Heat In The It Environment Application Of The Refrigeration Cycle In It Cooling The 5 Basic It Environment Heat Removal Methods The Nine Types Of Cooling Systems Types Of Cooling In The Hard Floor Environment Types Of Cooling In The Raised-floor Environment Precision Air Conditioning

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HVAC Term
Air-Cooled System Condensing Coil exposed directly to the outside Atmosphere. ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers BTU British Thermal Unit. A BTU is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit in one hour. CFM Cubic feet per minute. CFM is used to measure the flow of air through a delivery system or space.

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HVAC Term
Clean Room A room that is virtually free of dust or bacteria Compressor The compressor is an essential component in the refrigeration cycle that uses mechanical energy to compress or squeeze gaseous refrigerant. Condensate The water that results as a by-product of dehumidification. EER energy efficiency ratio, a measurement quantifying the performance of a compressor relative to its energy consumption. A higher number is generally better.

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HVAC Term
Enthalpy The total quantity of energy used to heat or cool a substance between two temperatures including the energy used to change the state of the substance if applicable. For example, if we heat a sample of water at normal atmospheric pressure from 33F to 275F (1C to 135C), the enthalpy is the sum of the sensible heat energy added (from 33F / 1C to 212F / 100C and from 212F / 100C to 275F / 135C) and the latent heat energy added (state change from liquid to vapor at 212F / 100C). Latent Heat Heat energy that must be transferred to or removed from a substance to change its state.

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HVAC Term
Psychometric Chart The properties of air and the water contained in it at different temperatures arranged in the form of a chart. In particular it shows the quantitative interdependence between temperature and humidity. Relative Humidity The amount of water vapor contained in air relative to the maximum amount the air is capable of holding. Expressed in %. Sensible Heat Sensible heat is defined as the heat energy that causes a change in temperature of a substance but does not contribute to a change in state for the substance. The only type of heat energy produced by computers and IT equipment.

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HVAC Term
Sensible Cooling Capacity The amount of heat energy the air conditioner can be expected to remove from the IT room or data center. Latent Cooling Capacity The fraction of total capacity a computer room air conditioner or air handler uses to condense liquid water from the air stream being cooled. Sensible Heat Ratio The ratio between a air conditioners sensible heat removal capacity and its total heat removal capacity. In an IT environment, higher sensible heat ratios contribute to lower operating costs and more effective equipment cooling. Ideally, this ratio is 1, meaning the entire air conditioner capacity is available to cool the IT loads.

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HVAC Term
Ton (Cooling) A measurement of heat energy commonly used historically to measure heat loads. A ton is equal to 12,000 BTUs and is the amount of heat energy required to melt 2000 pounds (907kg) of ice in one hour.

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HVAC Term
Conversion Table

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The Refrigeration Cycle

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The refrigeration cycle is a closed cycle of evaporation, pressure change, condensation, and flow regulation applied to a fluid called refrigerant.

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The Refrigeration Cycle

Evaporation Warm air from the computer room is blown across the evaporator coil by a fan, while the pipes comprising the coil are supplied with cold liquid refrigerant. Even though the evaporator coil is cold, at approximately 46F (7.8C), the refrigerant inside is evaporating, or boiling, changing from liquid to a gaseous state. The refrigerant at this point is a cool gas in a small pipe that is carrying the heat energy away from the computer room.

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The Refrigeration Cycle

Compression The vaporized but cool refrigerant carrying the heat from the data center is drawn into a compressor. This compressor has two important functions:

It pushes the refrigerant carrying the heat energy around the refrigeration loop. It compresses the gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator coil to over 200 psi or 1379 kPa.

The compression of a gas causes its measured temperature to rise. Therefore, the moving gaseous refrigerant exiting the compressor is hot, over 125F (52C), as well as compressed.

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The Refrigeration Cycle

Condensation The hot compressed refrigerant carries the computer room heat energy from the compressor to the Condenser Coil. This coil transfers heat to another medium, like air. Heat is flowing from the refrigerant to the air. The air is typically blown across the hot coil by a fan which exhausts the hot air to the outdoors. In this way the heat energy from the computer room has been pumped to the outdoors.

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The Refrigeration Cycle

Expansion The refrigerant exits the Condenser Coil as a highpressure liquid, although at a lower temperature. The refrigerant then passes through an expansion valve before returning to the Evaporator Coil. It precisely regulates the flow of high-pressure refrigerant into the low-pressure evaporator coil at a rate that maintains an optimal difference in pressure. It is a fundamental property of gases that the expansion of a gas causes its measured temperature to fall. The result is that the refrigerant is cooled by the release of pressure.

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The nature of Heat in IT environment

Heat is simply a form of energy. In the data center heat is produced as electricity is consumed by IT equipment. With few exceptions, over 99% of the electricity used to power IT equipment is converted into heat. Approximately 50% of the heat energy released by servers originates in the microprocessor itself.

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Application of the refrigeration cycle in IT cooling

IT rooms and data centers are usually cooled with specialized air conditioning equipment commonly called precision cooling systems. These systems differ from typical residential or commercial air conditioning systems in that they provide more precise, stable environments for IT equipment by closely regulating air temperature and moisture.

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Application of the refrigeration cycle in IT cooling

Equipment located inside the IT environment Large floor mounted computer room air conditioners (CRAC), computer room air handlers (CRAH), ceilingmounted air conditioners, and portable air conditioners known as spot coolers. Equipment located outside the IT environment The outdoor heat rejection device. With the exception of some ceiling-mounted and portable air conditioners, there are always one or more major components essential to the cooling system existing outside of the IT environment.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Air-Cooled System (2-pieces) This type of system is often referred to as a DX system or split system. In an air cooled system half the components of the refrigeration cycle are in the computer room air conditioner (also known as a CRAC unit) and the rest are outdoors in the air cooled condenser.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Air-Cooled System (2-pieces) Advantages:

Lowest overall cost Easiest to maintain

Disadvantages:

Refrigerant piping must be installed in the field. Refrigerant piping cannot be run long distances reliably and economically. Multiple computer room air conditioners cannot be attached to a single air cooled condenser.

Usually Used:

In wiring closets, computer rooms and small-to-medium data centers with moderate availability requirements.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Air cooled self-contained systems (1-piece) Self-contained systems locate all the components of the refrigeration cycle in one enclosure that is usually found in the IT environment.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Air cooled self-contained systems (1-piece) Advantages:

Lowest installation cost. All refrigeration cycle components are contained inside one unit as a factorysealed and tested system for highest reliability.

Disadvantages:

Less heat removal capacity per unit compared to other configurations. Air routed into and out of the IT environment for the condensing coil usually requires ductwork .

Usually Used:

In wiring closets, laboratory environments and computer rooms with moderate availability requirements. Sometimes used to fix hot spots in data centers.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Glycol cooled systems All refrigeration cycle components in one enclosure (like a self-contained system) but replaces the bulky condensing coil with a much smaller heat exchanger uses flowing glycol (a mixture of water and ethylene glycol)

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Glycol cooled systems Advantages:

Glycol pipes can run much longer distances than refrigerant lines All refrigeration cycle components are contained inside one unit as a factorysealed and tested system for highest reliability.

Disadvantages:

Additional required components (pump package, valves) raise capital and installation costs. Maintenance of glycol volume and quality within the system is required.

Usually Used:

In computer rooms and small-to-medium data centers with moderate availability requirements.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Water cooled systems Water cooled systems are similar to glycol cooled systems. However, there are two important differences :

A water (also called condenser water) loop is used instead of glycol Heat is rejected to the outside atmosphere via a cooling tower instead of a fluid cooler.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Water cooled systems Advantages:

Condenser water piping loops are easily run long distances All refrigeration cycle components are contained inside one unit as a factorysealed and tested system for highest reliability.

Disadvantages:

High initial cost for cooling tower, pump, and piping systems. Very high maintenance costs due to frequent cleaning and water treatment requirements.

Usually Used:

In conjunction with other building systems in small, medium and large data centers with moderate to-high availability requirements.

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Chilled water systems

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The 5 basic IT environment heat removal methods

Chilled water systems Advantages:

Computer room air handlers generally cost less, contain fewer parts, and have greater heat removal capacity Chilled water piping loops are easily run very long distances and can service many IT environments . Can be engineered to be extremely reliable.

Disadvantages:

highest capital costs CRAHs generally remove more moisture from data center air than their CRAC counterparts, requiring more money be spent on humidifying the room in many climates.

Usually Used:

In conjunction with other systems in medium and large data centers with moderate-to-high availability requirements or as a high availability dedicated solution in large data centers.

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The nine types of cooling systems

Every cooling distribution system has a supply system and a return system. The supply system distributes the cool air from the CRAC unit to the load, and the return system takes the exhaust air from the loads back to the CRAC. For both the supply and the return, there are three basic methods used to convey air between the CRAC and the load, which are: Flooded Locally Ducted Fully Ducted

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The nine types of cooling systems

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Types of cooling in the hard floor environment

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Types of cooling in the hard floor environment

Selecting the right type to use in a hard floor environment

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Types of cooling in the raised-floor environment

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Types of cooling in the raised-floor environment

Selecting the right type to use in a raised-floor environment

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Precision Air Conditioning

Why Do I Need Precision Air Conditioning? IT hardware produces an unusual, concentrated heat load, and at the same time, is very sensitive to changes in temperature or humidity. Precision air systems are designed for close temperature and humidity control. They provide high reliability for year-round operation, with the ease of service, system flexibility and redundancy necessary to keep the technology room up and running 24 hours a day.

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Precision Air Conditioning

Temperature and Humidity Design Conditions Design conditions should be 72-75F (22-24C) and 35-50% relative humidity (R.H.). Problems Caused by the Wrong Environment High & Low Temperature

A high or low ambient temperature or rapid temperature swings can corrupt data processing and shut down an entire system.

High Humidity

High humidity can result in tape and surface deterioration, head crashes, condensation, corrosion, paper handling problems, and gold and silver migration leading to component and board failure.

Low Humidity

Low humidity greatly increases the possibility of static electric discharges. Such static discharges can corrupt data and damage hardware.

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Precision Air Conditioning

Differences Between Precision Air and Comfort Air Conditioning Sensible Heat Ratio

The total cooling capacity of an air conditioner is the sum of the sensible heat removed and the latent heat removed. Total Cooling Capacity = Sensible Cooling + Latent Cooling Total Cooling Sensible Heat Ratio (SHR) = Sensible Cooling The required SHR of an air conditioner to match this heat load profile is very high, 0.95-0.99. Precision air conditioning is designed to meet these very high sensible heat ratios. In contrast, a comfort air conditioner typically has a SHR of 0.65-0.70, thereby providing too little sensible cooling and too much latent cooling.

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Precision Air Conditioning

Precise Temperature and Humidity

Precision air conditioners have the sophisticated, fastacting, microprocessor-based controls necessary to react quickly to changing conditions and maintain the tight tolerances required for a stable environment.

Air Quality

Precision air conditioners operate at a high air flow rate per unit heat removed, generally, 160 CFM (76 Lps) per kW or greater. The high CFM / kW of precision cooling equipment also allows more air to move through filters, ensuring a cleaner environment. Comfort air conditioners operate at a much lower 85-115 CFM / kW (40-54 Lps / kW).

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Precision Air Conditioning

Hours of Operation

Precision air conditioners are designed and built to run non-stop 8760 hours a year.. Comfort air conditioners are designed to run during summer days, up to an expected maximum of 1200 hours per year.

Design Criteria Load Density

Load Density Office 5 15 watts / sq. ft. (54 161 watts / sq. m) Technology Room 50 200 watts / sq. ft. (538 2,153 watts / sq. m)

Temperature and Humidity

Design goal conditions should be 72-75F (22-24C), 35-50% R.H.

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Precision Air Conditioning

Air Quantity

The high CFM / kW (Lps / kW) inherent to precision systems contributes to the high sensible heat ratio, improves air distribution, and increases filtration rates.

Air Cleanliness

Without filters, airborne dust can damage equipment. Filters should be deep pleated for moderate to high efficiency.

Vapor Barrier

Because almost all construction materials are transparent to moisture, a well-designed technology room must include a vapor barrier.

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Precision Air Conditioning

Outside Air Requirements

Outside air should be minimized to limit the latent load brought into the room. A quantity of 20 CFM (9.4 Lps) per person is currently sufficient to satisfy Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) concerns in the U.S.

Redundancy

Redundancy is achieved by operating additional equipment to provide 100% of the required cooling capacity even after a unit shutdown or failure of one or more units.

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Precision Air Conditioning

Cost of Ownership Operating Costs

Technology room air conditioning costs are typically ten times higher per square foot than office or comfort air conditioning. However, precision air conditioning operating costs are far less than comfort air conditioning if both systems are applied to a technology room. Precision air conditioning costs are lower than comfort air conditioning for comparable use because of the following:

Under-floor System High Energy Efficiency Ratio (E.E.R).

Precision air equipment is designed with high-efficiency components for year-round operation. Look for the following:

Oversized, shallow cooling coil

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Precision Air Conditioning

High efficiency blower motors Steam canister humidifiers Heat pump duty rated compressor High S.H.R.s Dedicated dehumidification cycle Low FLA 100,000 HR L rated bearings Extended warranties

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Precision Air Conditioning

Service Costs

The largest costs incurred during the service or repair are generally in technology room downtime. For this reason, redundancy should always be designed in first. Look for the following:

Bolt in refrigeration components. Compressor and filter dryer should be removable without gas torches. Components should be out of the air stream in a separate mechanical section. Removable fan deck assembly. Color-coded and numbered electrical wiring. Motor start protectors instead of fuses. Easily removable and/or hinged access panels. Run-time-based maintenance calls.

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Thank You

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