Project: | WCCC UMass Data Center |
Engineer: | Symmes Maini & McKee Associates |
Contractor: | KMD Mechanical Corp. |
Manufacturer: | Cambridgeport |
Equipment: | Custom Air Handling Units |
Size: | (2) 83,000 CFM Units |
DAC Sales Engineer: | David Goodman |
Project Highlights:
Two Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM) fan array units. Each array consists of (12) 7.5 HP ECMs, with backwards curved fans, that can deliver 83,000 CFM at 2.5” w.c. The two arrays combined deliver a total of 166,000 CFM, which is enough air to cool the maximum design data center heat load of 1.2 MW (SA=75F to RA=100F).
Challenge:
With typical annual energy costs per square foot 15 times (and in some cases over 40 times) that of typical office buildings, data centers are an important target for energy savings. They operate continuously, which means that their electricity demand is always contributing to peak utility system demands. The goal here was to create an energy efficient system that provided maximum flexibility to expand and variable capacity to meet load requirements.
Solution:
We knew that better performance would be provided with a Custom-Designed Central Air Handling System. A centralized system offers several advantages over the traditional multiple-distributed-unit systems. The centralized system is well-suited for variable-volume operation to take advantage of the fact that the server racks are rarely fully loaded. A centralized air handling system can improve efficiency by taking advantage of surplus and redundant capacity. The maintenance-saving benefits of a central system and the reduced footprint are additional benefits.
The ECM Fan Array is a main design element of the system. The ECM array provides both energy efficiency and redundancy. Direct signals from the Building Management System control all fans in the array. Variable Frequency Drives were eliminated from the project, saving first cost and maintenance cost. The ECM motors also have a longer life cycle and take up less space than traditional fans.
Ashrae CCTC Article by Paul Hanbury on EMC Fan Array
Have a question about the ECM Fan Array, we invite you to askRick?
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