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Today's IT infrastructure equipment is becoming more powerful and compact, resulting in additional heat per enclosure. As more heat becomes concentrated within the cabinet space the risk of overheating and damaging expensive equipment increases. For this reason it is critical to control airflow throughout the data center in efforts to achieve successful cooling. Contemporary thinking in data center thermal management promotes the hot aisle/cold aisle layout where cold air is segregated in front of equipment cabinets and hot exhaust air is expelled behind equipment cabinets. This layout eliminates the direct transfer of hot exhaust air from one system into the intake air of another system.
Cabinets should be arranged in rows that are parallel to airflow creating a hot aisle/cold aisle layout. To begin this type of layout hot and cold aisles must first be designated. The fronts of equipment should face the cold aisles as cold air is delivered to these aisles. There should be perforated floor tiles in the cold aisle that enable cool air to come up from the access floor. The hot aisles should be located behind cabinets as hot air is removed from these aisles; no perforated tiles are located in this area. Whenever possible, utilize overhead cable runway for distributing data and/or power cables. By managing cables above cabinet rows, the under floor space is open and offers greater airflow control and prevents airflow obstruction from cables.
CPI offers a variety of products that help achieve an effective hot aisle/cold aisle layout including the new TeraFrame™ Cabinet System. The TeraFrame Cabinet eliminates internal recirculation, preventing hot exhaust air from entering your equipment. The Internal Air Duct also supplements the cold aisle with an additional 210-510 CFM of cool air, effectively reducing equipment intake air temperature as much as 10ºF (6ºC) over the typical server cabinet. The KoldLok® Raised Floor Grommet blocks airflow through cable access holes in access floor tiles, saving cool air that would otherwise be wasted. Combine CPI's Air Dam Kit, Snap-In Filler Panels, side panels and perforated doors for maximum effectiveness in a hot aisle/cold aisle layout.
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