In a Cold Aisle Containment (CAC) system, the cold air is brought to the servers without mixing with warmer room air.
Since there is no mixing of exhaust air and supply air, the temperature distribution throughout the contained aisle is consistent with the temperature under the floor, allowing data center managers to maintain ASHRAE recommended set points on the cooling units.
Each data centre is different by the size of it, the layout of cabinets, the cooling system used, the distribution of servers, etc. The selection of one system versus another is the result of an analysis of each data centre.
In order to determine if an aisle containment system will be beneficial in your environment, you should give careful consideration to the following:
- Is it for a new data center or for an existing facility? New Facility designs allow for installation of cooling infrastructure that is optimized for use with Aisle Containment.
- Is the floor a plenum raised floor or slab? Cold Aisle Containment holds an advantage over Hot Aisle Containment in Raised Floor Plenum environments, while Hot Aisle Containment is typically preferable in non-plenum environments.
- Does the data center support freestanding equipment outside of the contained area such as mainframe or storage appliances? Proper attention should be given to cooling these devices when containment is being used elsewhere in the room.
- Is there a return plenum in the room? The presence of a return plenum can help maximize efficiency of hot aisle containment.
- Can existing fire suppression systems be extended into the contained area? Or is the installation of fire detection and suppression within the contained space required?
- Each type of containment system has strengths and weaknesses that need to be carefully evaluated prior to selecting one. Implementation of containment systems can cause undesirable and unanticipated effects in other areas of the room.
Sustema can assist you in the analysis and planning for the installation of a containment solution.
