Data102 is always looking for ways to reduce energy consumption. Increased efficiency means less environmental impact, lower costs for our customers, and peak performance from the servers. We also have to take into account the unique conditions that our high-altitude location can present. One system that we have in place to improve our efficiency is our redundant pump system, which helps to keep the datacenter cool while minimizing our power usage.
What Does the Redundant Pump System Do?
Our redundant pump system uses two alternating pumps to keep a mixture of water and glycol running from our computer room air conditioning units (CRACs) up to one of the 150-ton dry coolers on the roof.
The dry coolers exhaust the heat from the water/glycol mixture and the liquid flows back into the CRAC units to absorb the heat from the datacenter, and the cycle continues. Since the CRAC units must be running at all times to ensure that the datacenter doesn’t overheat—putting servers and other hardware at risk—the pumps have to keep pumping every day, all day long.
A redundant pump system allows us to keep our pumps maintained and functioning at peak efficiency. Only one pump runs at a time, allowing the other pump to receive regular maintenance. The smart controls that monitor the pumps will switch from one pump to the other if a problem is detected so that the flow of water/glycol mixture is never interrupted, which can cause power spikes or even damage to the system. These controls also ensure that the runtime of the pumps stays even so that one does not get overworked.
The Power of Variable Frequency Drives
Our redundant pump system also uses a variable frequency drive (VFD), which dramatically improves efficiency. The VFD tunes the pump like a throttle, allowing for different amounts of pressure to be used depending on the outside temperature. Regular readings are also taken to tune for pressure and heat. These continual adjustments ensure that the system is using the minimal power possible, that the motor is not being overly taxed, that coils are not being burned, and that there aren’t any shockwaves in the glycol/water mixture.
When choosing a Colorado datacenter, you want the assurance that costs are being kept low without sacrificing safe conditions for your hardware. Data102’s redundant pump system does just that. We continue to be the best datacenter in southern Colorado in part because we use these state-of-the-art systems to operate at peak efficiency.
