Enterprise Data Center Design and Methodology

Reasons for Environmental Control

Computer rooms require precise and adaptable temperature control for several reasons:

• Need for cooling. Data centers have a dense heat load, generally 10 to 30 times the heat density of normal offices.

• Cooling must be delivered where needed. The heat load varies across the area of the computer room. To achieve a balanced psychrometric profile, the air conditioning system must address the needs of particular heat-producing equipment.

• Data centers need precise cooling. Electronic equipment radiates a drier heat than the human body. Therefore, precision data center cooling systems require a higher sensible heat ratio (SHR) than office areas. Ideally, the cooling system should have an SHR of 1:1 (100 percent sensible ...