STULZ develops next generation data center cooling system
Technology firm STULZ has brought a new kind of temperature and humidity management system to the market, designed specifically for managing air and cooling for large, colocation, and hyperscale data centers.
The CyberWall cooling solution comprises multiple air conditioning units developed for facilities with separate aisles.
According to the company, heat generation within separate racks is only being exacerbated with each new generation of data center equipment – equipment that is both sensitive and must operate within a certain temperature range.
Data center operators can overlook this heat load increase, which could cause harm to IT equipment, resulting in a reduction in operational life, lower performance and reliability, and increased energy expenditure.
"Climate management is one of the key challenges faced by operators of large, colocation and hyperscale data centers. A failure to understand the consequences of heat generation and deal with it properly can be disastrous," comments STULZ deputy head of product management, Tobias Wolf.
STULZ designed its solution to be configured around high performance fan walls, which use electronically commutated (EC) fans with integrated air/water heat exchangers. This allows a cooling capacity of around 100kW per metre of wall length to be achieved and enables the efficient air conditioning of high power densities, as well as racks of 42U or more.
According to the company, indoor air handlers with cold water connection can be mounted in rows or stacked without gaps – making use of all available wall space and optimising system performance. Mounted at the aisle end, where they supply individual rack rows horizontally with cold air, the warm aisle is separated by a containment system with a ceiling duct, which separates cold and warm air.
The CyberWall system also fits into the existing service corridor, which allows the maintenance of air conditioners to be completed without the need for personnel to enter the server area.
STULZ CyberWall modules achieve cooling capacity of 220kW, with 16°C water inlet, and an airflow rate of 55,000m³/h per air conditioning unit. As part of its pioneering Custom Indoor Air Handling Unit (AHU) series, STULZ provides a wide range of output sizes and special designs, offering customers a comprehensive portfolio of unit dimensions, components and capacities to meet specific requirements.
"With CyberWall, STULZ has used its extensive research and development capabilities to develop a genuine game changer in effective air conditioning, allowing operators to protect their technology investments and maximise uptime," concludes Wolf.
