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Advances in microchip technology toward smaller, more powerful microprocessors have increased computing capacity exponentially. The footprint of today’s data center has decreased as a result of streamlined blade server rack configurations allowing for more equipment density, and as a result, increased heat loads from equipment that requires air flow analysis to guarantee proper cooling of the equipment, according to SpawMaxwell Officer Allen Lindsey, who leads the company’s technology business practice.

New data center design parameters call for much higher watt-per-square foot load densities than in recent years – as much as 300 to 450 watts per square foot in some cases up from 100 to 150 watts per square foot in previous generation data center designs, Lindsey said. Controlling high-density cooling means careful evaluation of the thermodynamics associated with the principles of heat dissipation. Modeling air flow requires specialty trade partners who have the sophisticated engineering software that allows for proper placement of high heat load equipment to prevent hot spots from developing, he added.

Power and redundancy requirements must also be considered during data center design and construction. In most instances upgrading power systems to accommodate newer, denser equipment configurations is relatively common. However, identifying reliable power sources, understanding emergency power requirements, and having the appropriate redundant systems to ensure operations 24x7 is part of the design-assist value added service that SpawMaxwell provides.  

“We have experience with recent extreme weather patterns in Houston that underscore for us the changing dynamic of emergency power and redundancy,” LIndsey said. “In an event, a densely packed data center generating high heat loads, room temperature could increase by one degree per minute putting mission-critical equipment at risk. A standard centrifugal chiller may take 10 minutes to recycle and restart.”

SpawMaxwell can determine if thermal storage or a more expensive fast-starting chiller is justified, Lindsey said. 

“We are also seeing a reevaluation of the use of natural gas as a viable secondary source for emergency power generation in addition to diesel,” Lindsey said.  “For some companies, a near term solution may include units that run diesel and natural gas separately to ensure availability of emergency fuel supply.”

Questions regarding emergency power, redundancy, and connectivity that companies need to ask when planning a data center include:

• How long can the data center run under emergency power?
• What is the acceptable limit of temperature increase the data center can sustain without damage to mission-critical equipment and systems?
• Does the data center need to consider dual power sources (from different substations on different grids as an extreme example) to ensure continuous availability?
• How much on-site fuel capacity is necessary before the tanks need to be refilled?
• In an event, connectivity may be impacted…how will voice/data/Internet be impacted?  Is the service reliable? What redundancies are needed?

Site specific variables can also impact continuous operation of a data center.

“It’s not enough to consider the interior of the space without accounting for external conditions,” Lindsey said. “We help our clients analyze the opportunity cost of these different systems and help assess risk.” 

For example:

• What is the category wind load the structure must withstand in the event of extreme weather?
• What are the structure’s roof requirements?  Is there the potential for uplift?  Does the weather history suggest the need for a fully adhered roof application?
• In the case of a retrofit, is the overall structure sound? Can it handle the increased load from additional equipment?
• Does the structure require large missile impact glass to safeguard against projectiles penetrating the structure during an extreme wind event?

Allen Lindsey, Vice President of Preconstruction,
holds dual degrees in Building Construction and Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and brings more than 20 years of industry experience to SpawMaxwell.