HP Modular Cooling System manual Cooling decisions based on room layout, Hot aisle

Cooling decisions based on room layout

If facility characteristics allow several cooling options, the rack layout can suggest which cooling strategy should be used. Figure 12 compares two data center layouts, each with four rows of racks. Figure 12A shows two pairs of rows with each pair facing each other to create two cold aisles and three hot aisles. This layout lends itself to a cold-aisle cooling strategy since only two rows require containment. Figure 12B shows a layout with only one pair of rows facing each other, resulting in three cold aisles and two hot aisles. In this case, a hot-aisle containment strategy might be preferred since only two rows require containment.

Figure 12: Cooling strategies based on room layout (top view)
A: Layout suggesting cold-aisle containment	B: Layout suggesting hot-aisle containment

Hot aisle Cold aisle

Cooling decisions based on server density/power per rack

Your room characteristics and data center layout can suggest a specific cooling strategy, but equipment density and power consumption ultimately determine the best choice. We can make some general assumptions:

•Traditional data center cooling is adequate for racks using up to 10 kW.

•Racks using 15 kW or more will likely require some form of containment strategy.

•Closed-loop cooling accommodates the widest range of server/power densities.

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