Doubling rack densities and increasing operational efficiency

“I was determined I was going to find someone out there thinking about this problem in a different way. Without question, this has been the case,” Scott says.

In searching for a solution that would approach cooling more effectively within the architectural limitation of the facility, Scott learned about CPI and its experience with data center airflow management, including CPI Passive Cooling technology. Passive Cooling completely segregates hot and cold air, and can be applied at the cabinet or aisle level, providing increased equipment cooling performance in all elements of the data center mechanical plant, thereby reducing overall energy costs. In an existing space, such as the case for Xfernet, cabinet-level Passive Cooling is typically the ideal solution, because it allows for airflow to be effectively managed regardless of architectural constraints.

Passive Cooling was provided through the patented Vertical Exhaust Ducts attached to F-Series TeraFrame^® cabinets. The ducts channel the hot exhaust air out of the cabinet and up into the drop ceiling, segregating the

hot air out of the room, and ducting it back passively into the Computer Room Air Conditioner (CRAC) units. The cooled air from the CRAC units is then redistributed under the floor, into the room and through the racks. This

cools the equipment without the need to overprovision the room, drastically reducing cooling costs.

“We saw the improvement immediately once we implemented the cabinets. It allowed us to fully service our clients. Clients pay per footprint of the cabinet space. When the limitation is compute power and ability to cool that power—if you can’t support that—they’ll look elsewhere,” Scott explains.

The ability to have energy-efficient cooled air in its data centers allowed Xfernet to keep ideal temperatures on doubled rack densities, while still having room for growth.