Cooling Server Room

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TheScullster

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Hi all

I am looking at locating 5 servers on a rack in a 2m x 2m cupboard.
The heat load seems rather high to me - can anyone comment please?

Looking at the specs for the various kit, they quote Btu/hr figures.
The new servers give 3990 Btu/hr and the old ones (to be re-used) 1850
Btu/hr.
Are these figures the actual dissipated heat that needs to be removed via
the air-con or is there some sort of service factor (reduction) to be
applied.

Allowing for some future contingency I get a conservative figure of approx
30,000 Btu/hr.
From my DIY experience, this is enough to heat a small house!!

Any advice on the size and type of air-con unit appropriate would be
appreciated.

TIA

Phil
 
Re: Cooling Server Room


"TheScullster" <phil@dropthespam.com> wrote in message
news:ZJGdnSL3FNI15HnVnZ2dnUVZ8v3inZ2d@eclipse.net.uk...
> Hi all
>
> I am looking at locating 5 servers on a rack in a 2m x 2m cupboard.
> The heat load seems rather high to me - can anyone comment please?
>
> Looking at the specs for the various kit, they quote Btu/hr figures.
> The new servers give 3990 Btu/hr and the old ones (to be re-used) 1850
> Btu/hr.
> Are these figures the actual dissipated heat that needs to be removed via
> the air-con or is there some sort of service factor (reduction) to be
> applied.
>
> Allowing for some future contingency I get a conservative figure of approx
> 30,000 Btu/hr.
> From my DIY experience, this is enough to heat a small house!!
>
> Any advice on the size and type of air-con unit appropriate would be
> appreciated.
>
> TIA
>
> Phil

I'm not sure what exactly you mean with "The new servers give 3990 Btu/hr".
The general rule is: If you put a device consuming 10 kW inside a well
insulated room then your air conditioning plant has to be capable of
removing 10 kW of power (or 10 kWh of energy per hour). You can therefore
ask your electrician use his energy meter to measure the total active power
consumption of all devices in your server room. The result will determine
the size of your air conditioner. Make sure he measures Watts, not VAs! By
the way, where do they still use BTUs?
 
Re: Cooling Server Room


"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message
news:em7jshJJJHA.1304@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
> "TheScullster" <phil@dropthespam.com> wrote in message
> news:ZJGdnSL3FNI15HnVnZ2dnUVZ8v3inZ2d@eclipse.net.uk...
>> Hi all
>>
>> I am looking at locating 5 servers on a rack in a 2m x 2m cupboard.
>> The heat load seems rather high to me - can anyone comment please?
>>
>> Looking at the specs for the various kit, they quote Btu/hr figures.
>> The new servers give 3990 Btu/hr and the old ones (to be re-used) 1850
>> Btu/hr.
>> Are these figures the actual dissipated heat that needs to be removed via
>> the air-con or is there some sort of service factor (reduction) to be
>> applied.
>>
>> Allowing for some future contingency I get a conservative figure of
>> approx 30,000 Btu/hr.
>> From my DIY experience, this is enough to heat a small house!!
>>
>> Any advice on the size and type of air-con unit appropriate would be
>> appreciated.
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Phil
>
> I'm not sure what exactly you mean with "The new servers give 3990
> Btu/hr". The general rule is: If you put a device consuming 10 kW inside a
> well insulated room then your air conditioning plant has to be capable of
> removing 10 kW of power (or 10 kWh of energy per hour). You can therefore
> ask your electrician use his energy meter to measure the total active
> power consumption of all devices in your server room. The result will
> determine the size of your air conditioner. Make sure he measures Watts,
> not VAs! By the way, where do they still use BTUs?
>

If it helps, I believe:

1 KW = 3413 btu/hr

--
Richard Mueller
MVP Directory Services
Hilltop Lab - http://www.rlmueller.net
--
 
Re: Cooling Server Room


"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote >

>
> I'm not sure what exactly you mean with "The new servers give 3990
> Btu/hr". The general rule is: If you put a device consuming 10 kW inside a
> well insulated room then your air conditioning plant has to be capable of
> removing 10 kW of power (or 10 kWh of energy per hour). You can therefore
> ask your electrician use his energy meter to measure the total active
> power consumption of all devices in your server room. The result will
> determine the size of your air conditioner. Make sure he measures Watts,
> not VAs! By the way, where do they still use BTUs?
>
Thanks Pegasus

What I mean is that the data sheets covering power in the quick specs for
the existing and proposed servers include a Btu/hr figure.
For the ML350 G3 servers this figure is described as the BTU rating.
For the proposed 3000VA UPS, there is a similar entry described as On Line
Thermal Dissipation in Btu/hr.

The use of Btu as a unit suggests heat transmission, but the total figure I
have of 30,000 Btu/hr for proposed and future contingency apparatus in the
server room appears high (and also that it would need a serious air-con
system to cope)!
At present our servers are in the open office (albeit 2 in cabinets). With
heat output like that suggested above I would expect people to keel over if
they were in the vicinity.

Phil
 
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