Working as a Heating Professional Can Lead to Success

Designing A Failover Cooling System For Computer Systems

1 June 2015

Abbie Wade

If your business relies on consistent, constant cooling, you'll need an action plan for loss of power or failing air conditioning systems. Storms, damaged equipment or extreme temperature changes threaten data centers and computer work systems every year, but with the right design you can be prepared to cool your systems with just a few key changes. Consider a few of the temperature dangers that computer systems face and ways to be prepared for failure recovery.  

Why Is High Temperature A Computer Risk?

Computer systems need to maintain a specific temperature in order to operate properly. Modern processors are designed to slow down to reduce heat generation, then shutdown the entire system to avoid physically burning from the extreme heat caused by their own calculations.

Every temperature failure ends in the processor not being able to cool itself quickly. For powerful servers designed to handle requests from multiple computers or any system that performs fast enough to generate too much heat, the addition of cool air or liquid cooling components is necessary.

For air cooling systems, a series of controlled air pipes are guided to the computer or server rack, which is then used to cool the entire unit or blow directly towards the processor. The temperature needs to be cool enough to reduce the processor temperature, but not so cold that it causes condensation because of the difference in outside and inner computer system temperatures.

With liquid cooling systems, cooled liquid is transported across plates that are connected to the processor and other temperature-sensitive systems. Liquid cools down the plate that touches the component, then removes heat as the same stream of water absorbs heat and flows away. The warmer liquid is then cooled again and the cycle continues.

Creating A Failover System For Cooling Problems

When your main cooling technique fails, you'll need an alternative in place. If using liquid cooling, you should also have an air cooling system in place to begin pushing cool air in and hot air out. A failover system can be started as soon as the main cooling system fails, either automatically through electrical switch setup or as changed by your personnel.

If your air conditioning system fails as well, you may be left with little alternative but to open a few doors and direct the air. If your building has power, a few high-powered fans can be used to blow air towards the computer system, away from the computer system with the hope of the air exiting the room or building.

Without power, you'll need a few creative systems in place. Solar panels can work, but may not be enough to sustain your fans for a long period of time. Standby generators powered by a large collection of batteries or a fuel system such as diesel can be used, but keep in mind that you'll need either a large enough solar panel grid or a reliable storage of fuel to use a generator properly. 

Contact a standby generator professional to begin planning your powered backup system. Whether you need to perform periodic testing for your solar unit or regularly change your fuel every few months to prevent aging supplies, a generator professional can help you schedule the necessary maintenance and inspections.

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