US Nuclear Security data centre

The National Nuclear Security Administration needed a cooling solution for its new data centre, whose design had to fit within existing space constraints. The project’s design team wanted an energy-efficient cooling solution that would limit upfront costs while maintaining a comfortable space with minimal energy consumption. The client was concerned about humidity levels in the server room, which ruled out the use of 100% outside air and traditional direct evaporative cooling.

The United States government launched a directive to reduce the environmental footprint of all its facilities, which led the design team to opt for a recirculating indirect evaporative cooling system for the data hall. Traditional air handling units (AHUs) using refrigerants or chilled water were also considered, but they consume a significant amount of energy, further amplified by the heat generated by servers and other IT equipment. The final selection was 3 H-CRS 36,000 CFM indirect evaporative cooling units with integrated DX cooling units, to maintain a supply air temperature of 70°F all year round.

Air2O’s indirect evaporative cooler with DX maintains a comfortable temperature in the space while consuming significantly less energy than conventional air conditioning solutions. Low temperatures and humidity levels are maintained without the need to run a large compressor or a chilled water system as a traditional system would require. A PUE of 1.16 was achieved, exceeding the project’s energy efficiency requirements.