Data Centers

Cool Data Centers Inexpensively:

Data centers, both local/on-premises and centralized/”cloud” types, and even mobile types, are becoming increasingly common in industry and government. Since up to 40% of their entire energy costs go to HVAC (heating, ventilating and cooling), users are increasingly exploring new ways to decrease their operating costs and reduce their dependence on air conditioning and chillers and cool data centers inexpensively. In addition, adequately sized conventional cooling systems bring with them high prices for equipment and its installation. Air-Cleaning Blowers^TM (ACBs) can provide a big part of that cost and maintenance reduction—both initial capital cost and long-term operating cost.

Why Cool Data Centers:

With the improvements in the designs of electronics, computers and peripherals can endure much higher temperatures than their predecessors of a few years ago. As a result, outside ambient-temperature air can supply sufficient cooling, if the ventilation system can supply sufficient airflow and the air is clean. ACBs can provide this clean air, without the complications of filter media.

Where the outside air is not sufficiently cool—either year around or just in certain seasons—data centers are increasingly turning to “free cooling” including direct evaporative cooling (DEC) and air-cooled chillers. Again, ACBs can provide the clean air that evaporative coolers need to blow the air through the media and clean that air so that the media stays clean and effective longer and with less maintenance. In addition, ACBs can blow clean air through dry heat exchangers to cool them and keep them clean, more energy efficient and with less clogging. They can also supply clean air to water-cooling towers to substantially reduce their maintenance as well.

How the Air Cleaning Blower Works:

The Air Cleaning Blower^TM works by pulling dirty air into its housing like any other fan would. The impeller inside its housing then spins the air around in a novel, multi-patented way, using the momentum of the particles to separate the dusts and other particles from the air. The ACB then ejects the debris back into the place where it came from, usually outdoors in the case of data centers. The clean air then blows out the other side where you need it. The Air-Cleaning Blower^TM accomplishes all this without any type of filter elements or media that need replacement or other maintenance.

Other filters and air purifiers that use filter elements often clog quickly and expensively. This clogging decreases the effectiveness of the fan, increases the amount of energy consumption and requires constant maintenance and repair. In contrast, because the ACB has no filter media to clog, replace or maintain, you can be sure you generate constant air flow, air pressure and steady energy consumption for ventilating, pressurizing or feeding air compressors and other equipment. They can also blow clean air into an evaporative (swamp) cooler to keep the media clean.

Another key feature is that the ACBs can remove rain, mist and snow from the air, which helps keep water out of the data centers and the humidity under control. Without filter media to catch the water, the system avoids the problems that wet elements can have such as impeding—or if they freeze, blocking—the air flow, shedding water into the building, and growing mold and other contaminants. Pulling the water out of the air and ejecting it back outside also reduces the load on dehumidification systems.

Independent Testing:

An internationally-recognized filter-testing laboratory tested the ACBs to establish independently their effectiveness. The testing found that they remove up to 98%+ of the mass of dust and other particles in the air. The laboratory results show that they remove virtually all particles larger than 10 microns and about 40% of smaller particles down to 3 microns in the air. The smallest particles most people can see are about 50 microns. This level of effectiveness is better than that of most air-conditioning systems.

Originally developed to work in harsh environments such as steel, mining and fertilizer plants, the Air Cleaning Blower^TM can help no matter where a data center is located. Our ACBs are so effective that they are being used today by the US Military in the Middle East to keep air conditioners cooling, even in sandstorms.

Potential applications:

• Reducing energy costs for cooling data centers and computer rooms

• Pressurizing data centers and computer rooms to keep out dust, even during sandstorms

• Providing “free cooling”

• Ventilating data centers to reduce use of air conditioning

• Controlling dust at loading points for trucks, rail cars and ships