In response to the rapidly expanding demand for data centers, driven by the growth of artificial intelligence applications and cloud computing, there is a strong demand for cooling solutions tailored to the specific needs of this energy-intensive sector.
Considering the necessity of keeping data centers constantly temperature-controlled and their increasing number and the need for sustainable solutions for this purpose, Daikin has decided to put its 100 years of HVAC sector experience at the service of the data centre industry. For this purpose, Daikin designed a dedicated solution for data centres and will present it at the Data Centre World event, which is a global conference for data center and IT professionals, and it is the world's largest gathering of industry professionals and end-users.
The event will be held on 6-7 March at ExCeL London, for an immersive experience at the epicentre of infrastructure advancement. Visit Daikin on Stand D530 to see all the specialised cooling solutions on offer.
Click here to register for your free access ticket to the event and to learn more about Daikin Data Centre Solution.
Data centers’ sustainability requirement and Daikin approach
Sustainability is a growing concern in the data center industry. To meet this purpose, Daikin is committed to minimising energy and water usage. Legislators, as well as investors and employees, are also focusing on this area, to see their companies respond to environmental concerns and corporate responsibilities. Daikin is committed to zero-emission operations by 2050 and is working closely with its customers to help them achieve their decarbonisation goals. This has been reflected in increased demand for the company’s free cooling solutions, which take advantage of low ambient air temperatures to reduce the run time of chillers cutting energy use and extending the operating life of equipment – a key consideration for reducing ‘whole life carbon’.
Daikin offers different types of free cooling, including glycol-free systems, to meet the needs of critical applications like data centers. It also uses sophisticated plant management systems supported by AI to keep chillers operating close to their optimal performance level and balances total capacity with actual load. This improves energy savings by as much as 20% compared with traditional chiller sequencing control by BMS. Daikin has also extended other aspects of its products and services to meet evolving end-user requirements and now offers two ranges of air-cooled chillers specifically for data centers.
Chiller and air-side solutions for data center applications
Its chiller range includes screw compressor units equipped with variable frequency drives (VFD) which are designed and manufactured in-house and mounted onto the compressor for better reliability and efficiency. On top of this, VFD is refrigerant cooled, further enhancing reliability, especially for those applications in extreme ambient conditions, where traditional air-cooled VFD would not be the best option. Thanks to VFD, precise modulation of cooling loads is allowed, with capacities up to 2150 kW and scroll compressor chillers with capacities up to 1344 kW which are ideally suited to a range of applications from refurbishment projects to major new developments.
Daikin chillers deliver up to +30°C supply water temperature, and can operate in a wide band of outside temperature conditions between –30°C and +55°C. This flexibility is particularly valued by large data center operators juggling with ever-denser concentrations of servers and ancillary equipment. Daikin also offers the Pro-W; high-efficiency computer room air handling (CRAH) solutions, manufactured in both the UK and Italy. The Pro-W range offers cooling capacities from 200kW to 700kW making them ideal for even the very largest data centers. These capacities are achieved using just four core unit sizes, which means the company can use a dedicated range of standardised components, including built-in EC fans and cooling coils, to guarantee manufactured quality and short production lead times.
Despite their large cooling capacities, the Daikin products are compact which allows them to be fitted in restricted areas too. This is specifically true for free cooling units, whose configuration does not exceed the unit footprint. The company also offers a range of control options specifically tailored for data centers to ensure the chiller plant delivers 24/7 cooling operating in the right mode by adjusting continually to real-time conditions. The chillers also come with a choice of refrigerant to further meet environmental concerns.
After-sales services for data centers
Daikin has tailored its controls and cooling solutions to match the growing demand for the high resilience and remote operation that is helping to turbocharge the global data center industry. Specifically, Daikin provides comprehensive after-sales support including access to its remote monitoring ‘Daikin On Site’ (DOS) service so any performance or safety risks can be flagged up to keep the system running as it was intended.
DOS captures live operational data from the unit and combines it with statistical predictions using trend analysis. This allows the service team to develop a preventative maintenance schedule to ensure the efficiency and reliability of the critical equipment, avoiding costly downtime and major repairs.
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