Liquid immersion cooling technology delivers a comfortable working environment

Liquid immersion cooling technology delivers a comfortable working environment

Liquid immersion cooling gives more benefits than cost-saving and energy efficiency, it provides a comfortable working environment.

High noise levels

Traditional data centres can be noisy given the high-velocity fans and the HVAC systems that have been put in place to cool the environment. As technology around the HVAC system improves, the equipment is not getting quieter; they are getting louder given the task they are meant to perform in keeping data centre equipment cool. Researches show that a twenty per cent increase in the fan speed raises the noise levels by 4dB. It is important to understand that a fan with a higher revolution per minute count has an optimal performance in cooling functionality in the data centre. Given that demand for data centres and cloud services is growing rapidly, the capacity of the data centre is supposed to be expanded to accommodate the changes. This means that higher-performing HVAC systems are required in standard data centres. This means that noise levels will continue to increase.

With a liquid immersion cooling system and its fanless design the noise in the server room has been greatly reduced – almost eliminated.

Occupational hazard

It has been reported that noise in data centres is approaching or even at times exceeding the required limits. Environmental regulations on noise pollution have put limits on the level of noise that is allowed in a given environment. With the news that these levels are being exceeded, the standard data centres may become a health hazard. Exposure to high noise levels is an occupational hazard for the staff at data centres. This could impact data centre business operations due to staff long-term illness. There have been reports of workers experiencing hearing loss following spending long durations in rooms that have loud HVAC systems. While it is recommended to wear ear covering and other personal protective equipment, the noise levels must be reduced. This will go a long way in making the staff in the data centres comfortable.

Temperatures a concern too

It is not only the noise that can make the data centre uncomfortable, temperatures too can be a cause of concern. The high temperatures produced mostly by processors and other motherboards components that characterise the data centres aisles/rooms especially those that use traditional cooling methods can be overbearing for the data centre staff.

Liquid immersion cooling works in a way that it removes heat directly from the equipment – not from the air, therefore the environment around the data centre will be more comfortable for the staff.

Conclusion

Switching to liquid immersion cooling is the best decision that any data centre operator can make. It not only delivers energy efficiency, great cost savings but also provides comfortable working conditions.