Hot Aisle Containment (HAC for short), also known by the name “warm aisle containment,” is a system for managing airflow in IT rooms. The HAC is a suspended structure consisting of steel profiles, polycarbonate panels, air curtains, and doors that create sealed-off corridors. Corridors, depending on their purpose, are used for the flow of cold or warm air.
How does the HAC work?
Tate’s HAC technology controls air circulation by directing the heat generated, by devices positioned appropriately on either side of the HAC system, into an enclosed corridor. A hot aisle (hot aisle) is an enclosed corridor located behind rows of servers. Hot air blown by the servers accumulates in this area. The hot aisle is equipped with special panels or walls that tightly separate it from the rest of the server room. Air from the hot aisle is exhausted outside the data hall. In this way, the air goes directly to the cooling equipment, where the air temperature is significantly reduced and is fed back into the room, into the so-called cold aisle. The cold aisle is the space in front of the server rows where cold air is delivered. Separation panels and doors should be placed in the cold aisle to prevent the mixing of cold and hot air. The cold air found in the cold aisle is used to cool the equipment in the data hall.
HAC designed to meet customer needs
The HAC system also includes cantilever arms, which are modified as needed to accommodate electrical installations. We design the arms to the required length and mount them at the indicated height to the HAC posts. Holes are cut in the partitions for passing installations, then the holes are sealed with accessories supplied by Tate.
Hot Aisle Containment’s very advantages
Hot Aisle Containment ensures tightness, which prevents the mixing of hot and cold air, this leads to lossless transport of air masses in circulation. The partitions use materials that have high thermal insulation. This results in optimal and precise temperature management in the server room. It translates into cooling efficiency (increased cooling capacity of up to 90%) and energy savings. This provides the opportunity for more racks and a larger (overall) server load. It also involves equipment protection – reducing the risk of failure, extending the life of equipment and indirectly reducing operating costs.
Individualized process
At Mega Concept, as a certified installer of Tate systems, we have been involved in the production process of warm aisle buildings from the very beginning. The base is a standard HAC (so-called generic HAC), then in cooperation with Tate’s design department we make modifications according to the requirements presented by the target customer. The design stage is extremely important. It requires adjusting the architecture of the server room, matching the solutions to the designed installation, thus avoiding problems at the installation and use stage. Tate engineers also check the effects of structural, dynamic and seismic loads on HAC structures that occur in a given region and tailor a customized solution for a given server room. Then, after the design is approved by the customer, HAC production begins. Once all the components are delivered to the site, our skilled fitters install the buildings in the indicated locations. Throughout the installation process, employees supervising the work on the part of Mega Concept are in constant contact with Tate and solve any problems that arise at the installation stage on an ongoing basis.
Temporary construction of warm corridors
Temporary Hot Aisle Containment is a solution used when it is necessary to temporarily enclose airflow zones in a server room. Temporary enclosures control air circulation by directing the heat generated, by devices set up in an appropriate manner, into an enclosed corridor.
Why is a temporary warm aisle system needed?
Temporary Hot Aisle Containment is used during the construction of data center type facilities during all stages of testing of cooling equipment. The structure is designed to carve out a corridor that simulates the target warm corridor development system. Temporary HACs allow the warm air generated by the heaters, which are set up to generate heat like the designed target servers, to be directed toward CRAHs (cooling equipment) designed to deliver air to the required temperature and blow it down a cold corridor back into the data hall. A temporary warm aisle system is essential at any server room during the load testing stage.
Easy modifiability of the system
Temporary warm aisle buildings are made of aluminum profiles and heat-resistant polycarbonate panels or other materials with high thermal insulation – depending on the customer’s needs. It is a lightweight, quick-to-install structure that provides a tight separation of the designated area. Temporary Hot Aisle Containment is designed to allow easy modification of the structure, as well as to change its location in the server room if necessary. We use temporary warm aisle builds to improve server cooling in operating data centers, during periods of heavy load or facility upgrades.
Tailored to the customer’s needs
Mega Concept’s proposed temporary Hot Aisle Containment solution can be applied to virtually any server room and can be modified according to individual customer needs.
