1 research outputs found
Aerosol Corrosion Prevention and Energy-Saving Strategies in the Design of Green Data Centers
The energy demands
of data centers (DCs) worldwide are rapidly
increasing, as are their environmental and economic costs. This paper
presents a study conducted at Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi (Po Valley),
Italy, specifically aimed at optimizing the operating conditions of
a DC designed for the Italian Oil and Gas Company (Eni) (5200 m<sup>2</sup> of Information Technology installed, 30 MW) and based on
a direct free cooling (DFC) system. The aim of the study was to save
the largest possible quantity of energy, while at the same time preventing
aerosol corrosion. The aerosol properties (number size distribution,
chemical composition, deliquescence relative humidity (DRH), acidity)
and meteorological parameters were monitored and utilized to determine
the potential levels of aerosol entering the DC (equivalent ISO class),
together with its DRH. These data enabled us both to select the DC’s
filtering system (MERV13 filters) and to optimize the cooling cycle
through calculation of the most reliable humidity cycle (60% of maximum
allowed RH) applicable to the DFC. A potential energy saving of 81%,
compared to a traditional air conditioning cooling system, was estimated:
in one year, for 1 kW of installed information technology, the estimated
energy saving is 7.4 MWh, resulting in 2.7 fewer tons of CO<sub>2</sub> being emitted, and a financial saving of € 1100