Project Snapshot: WCCC UMass Data Center | Custom Air Handling Units

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

WCCC UMass Data Center

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 WCCC UMass Data Center Rigging Picturetimes) 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. 

WCCC - UMass Data Center

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 benefitsWCCC - UMass Data Center 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 controlWCCC - UMass Data Center 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

EBM Papst – Brochure

Have a question about the ECM Fan Array, we invite you to   askRick?

 

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