Fundamentals of Cooling II Humidity in the Data Center

Transcript

Slide 1
Welcome to the Data Center University™ course: Fundamentals of Cooling II: Humidity in the Data Center.

Slide 2: Welcome
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Click the Notes tab to read a transcript of the narration.

Slide 3: Learning Objectives

At the completion of this course, you will be able to:
• Understand key terms such as dew point, relative humidity, and saturation
• Measure humidity and air temperature at strategic points in the data center
• Identify internal and external factors for humidity control
• Evaluate humidification strategies and systems
• Recognize and prevent demand fighting situations
• Understand the importance of right-sizing of cooling equipment

Slide 4: Introduction
Every Information Technology professional who is involved with the operation of computing equipment
needs to understand the importance of air conditioning in the data center or network room. Data center and
IT room heat removal and humidity management is one of the most essential yet least understood of all
critical IT environment functions. Improper or inadequate cooling and humidity management significantly
detracts from the lifespan and availability of IT equipment. A general understanding of these principles

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facilitates more precise communication among IT and cooling professionals when specifying, operating, or
maintaining a cooling solution. This course explains the role humidity plays in data center cooling.

Slide 5: Introduction
A data center must continuously operate at peak efficiency in order to maintain the business functions it
supports and to decrease operational expenses. In this environment, heat has the potential to create
significant downtime, and therefore must be removed from the space. In addition to heat, the control of
humidity in Information Technology environments is essential to achieving high availability. Humidity can
affect sensitive electronic equipment in adverse ways, and therefore strict humidity controls are required. IT
and cooling professionals need a general understanding of the effects of humidity on their mission-critical
systems in order to achieve peak performance.

Slide 6: Cooling Related Devices for the IT Space

There are a few devices commonly used in data center cooling strategies that we will be referring to
throughout this course.

The first device is a Computer Room Air Conditioning unit or CRAC. This device, usually installed in the
data center, uses a self-contained refrigeration cycle to remove heat from the room and directs it away from
the data center through some kind of cooling medium. A CRAC must be used with a heat rejection system
which then transfers the heat from the data center into the environment.

We will also refer to a CRAH, or Computer Room Air Handling unit. This is a device usually installed in the
data center or IT room that uses circulating chilled water to remove heat. A CRAH must be used in
conjunction with a chiller.

A Chiller is a device used to continuously refrigerate large volumes of water by way of the refrigeration cycle.
This large volume of chilled water is distributed to Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAH) which is designed
to remove heat from the IT environment.

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Finally, later in the course, humidifiers, which are devices used to add moisture to the air will be discussed.

Additional information on these devices will be covered in Fundamentals of Cooling Part 3.

Slide 7: Humidity and Static Electricity

The control of humidity in Information Technology environments is essential to achieving high availability.
The primary benefit in maintaining proper humidity levels is a reduction in Static Electricity, which by
definition is an electrical charge at rest. Damage from electrostatic discharge can be catastrophic, but more
likely will cause low-grade damage that may be initially undetectable, but increases potential for later
failures.

Static Electricity results from low air humidity, or dry air. The movement of dry cooling air throughout the
data center itself can be a source of static electricity every time it moves across an ungrounded insulated
surface and must be guarded against by maintaining proper humidity levels.

Therefore, making the air itself just a little more electrically conductive and the surfaces it touches just
slightly “wet,” reduces the potential for a buildup of electrical charges that lead to an electro-static discharge.

Slide 8: The Name of Humidity

Many different things make up the air that surrounds us. It’s a combination of gases consisting of nitrogen,
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. The water vapor in air is known as humidity. Air in the IT
environment must contain the proper amount of humidity in order to maximize the availability of computing
equipment. Too much or too little humidity directly contributes to reduced productivity and equipment
downtime.

Slide 9: The Name of Humidity

The IT environment is affected by many of the same conditions as the atmosphere around us. When
watching the evening weather report, you most likely have heard the terms Relative Humidity, Dew Point
and Saturation. Relative humidity represents the actual amount of water vapor in the air relative to the

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maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a given temperature. As the air temperature increases,
the air can hold more water vapor. Relative humidity is always expressed as a percentage from 0% to
100%. Think of the air in the data center as a giant sponge, which contains a constant amount of water. As
the air increases in temperature, the sponge gets bigger and bigger; therefore, it has the capacity to hold
more water. Because the amount of water is held constant however, the water molecules are less
concentrated, thereby causing the sponge to feel rather dry. This is an example of a low relative humidity.
As temperature increases with a fixed amount of water, relative humidity decreases.

Now, as the temperature decreases, the sponge will get smaller, as will its capacity to hold water. The ratio
of actual amount of water in the sponge RELATIVE to the maximum amount of water that the sponge can
hold is much higher, or higher percent relative humidity. As the temperature continues to decrease, the
relative humidity reaches 100%, and the sponge becomes saturated (it can not hold anymore water). It is at
this temperature (known as dew point) that the water vapor leaves the air, and appears as liquid water
droplets on any object in the data center including IT equipment. Dew point is always expressed as a
temperature. As temperature decreases with a fixed amount of water, relative humidity increases.

A common example of this is when a cold drink is left outside on a warm summer day, and droplets of water
form on the can or glass. This is because the cold drink cools the surrounding air to a temperature lower
than the air’s dew point. The air has more water vapor than it can hold at its new lower temperature and the
extra water vapor leaves the air as liquid water droplets on the glass. Relative humidity and dew point are
related terms. The dew point for air at a given temperature will rise as the air’s relative humidity increases.
Another important term related to humidification is saturation. When air reaches 100% relative humidity the
air’s dew point is always equal to its temperature and the air is considered saturated.

Slide 10: The Name of Humidity

The amount of water normally contained in air is actually very small. As an example, the air inside a small
data center measuring 30 feet by 20 feet and having a 10-foot ceiling will contain just over 40 ounces of
water vapor under normal conditions. For example, if the temperature in the small data center was 73°F,
the 40 ounces of water vapor contained in the air would equate to a relative humidity of 50%. If the relative

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humidity is zero there is no water vapor present. If the relative humidity is 100%, then the air is holding all
the water vapor it possibly can.

The amount of water that can be contained in this volume of air is not fixed however. As the temperature of
air increases it has the ability to hold more and more water vapor. As air temperature decreases, its ability to
hold water also decreases.

Slide 11: Humidity Control in the Data Center

As mentioned, relative humidity, dew point, and temperature are all related. Therefore, to control IT
environment humidity and temperature you can either maintain the relative humidity, or maintain the dew
point temperature at the Computer Room Air Conditioning (or CRAC) Level.

Slide 12: Relative Humidity Control

Let’s look at maintaining relative humidity first. Remember that as air increases in temperature it requires
more moisture be added to maintain the same relative humidity.

Take for example, a data center with two Computer Room Air Conditioning, or (CRAC) units with the same
Relative Humidity setting, say 45%. If the air in that room is returning to the CRACs at different
temperatures, for example one at 75 degrees, and one at 70 degrees, the higher temperature return air will
have more water added to it by the humidifier in the CRAC unit than the lower temperature return air will.

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When a room contains several CRAC units set to maintain the same RH setting, the unequal addition of
moisture among the units can eventually trigger one or more of the units to go into dehumidification mode.
The other CRAC units will detect the resulting drop in humidity and will increase their own humidification to
compensate. In an unmonitored room containing several CRAC units, it’s possible to have half the room’s
cooling units adding humidity while the other half work to reduce it. This condition is known as demand
fighting.

Slide 13: Demand Fighting

Let’s look a little closer at the problem of demand fighting. If Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units
in a data center do not work together in a coordinated fashion, they are likely to fall short of their cooling
capacity and incur a higher operating cost. CRAC units normally operate in four modes: Cooling, Heating,
Humidification and Dehumidification. While two of these conditions may occur at the same time (i.e., cooling
and dehumidification), all systems within a defined area should always be operating in the same mode.
Demand fighting can have drastic effects on the efficiency of the CRAC system leading to a reduction in the
cooling capacity, and is one of the primary causes of excessive energy consumption in IT environments. If
not addressed, this problem can result in a 20-30% reduction in efficiency which, in the best case, results in
wasted operating costs and worst case, results in downtime due to insufficient cooling capacity.

Slide 14: Dew Point Control

Let’s now look at maintaining dew point. Dew point control of IT environment humidity is more cost effective
than relative humidity control, as it greatly reduces the frequency of demand fighting. This is due to the fact
that as air increases in temperature in an IT environment its dew point stays the same. For example, air at
90°F exiting a piece of computer equipment has exactly the same dew point as the 70°F air entering the
computer.

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Relative humidity and measured air temperature are always related for any specific dew point temperature.
When several CRAC units are set to maintain humidity via dew point large differences in return air
temperature will not drive excessive humidification or dehumidification in different units. All cooling units
simply maintain humidity based on the actual amount of water required in each pound of air that passes
through the unit.

Slide 15: Humidification Systems

Humidification systems are used to increase the moisture content of air. They exist in virtually all data
centers and in some cases are almost continuously used. They are commonly installed in precision cooling
systems but may also be stand-alone central systems. Humidifiers installed inside computer room air
conditioners or air handlers replace water lost to condensation before the air exits the cooling unit.

Slide 16: Humidification Systems

There are three types of humidification systems commonly installed in computer room air conditioners and
air handlers:
• Steam canister humidifiers, Infrared humidifiers and Ultrasonic humidifiers.

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All three designs effectively humidify the IT environment.

Slide 17: Humidification Systems

Steam canister humidifiers are composed of a water-filled canister containing electrodes. When the
electrodes are powered, water is boiled and steam (water vapor) is produced. The steam is introduced via a
tube into the air stream to be humidified. The latest steam canister designs have the capability to regulate
the amount of steam they produce to the exact amount needed and also have the ability to compensate for
electrode fouling. This results in better humidity control, less electrical consumption and fewer maintenance
requirements.

Slide 18: Humidification Systems

Infrared humidifiers suspend quartz lamps over an open pool of water. The effect of the intense infrared light
on the surface of the water is the release of water vapor that migrates into the air stream requiring
humidification. (Image on next page)

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Slide 19: Humidification Systems
Ultrasonic humidifiers rapidly vibrate water to create a fog or mist that is introduced into the air stream
requiring humidification. Ultrasonic humidifiers require a reverse-osmosis water purification system to supply
water, however smaller systems can sometimes use de-ionized water.

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Slide 20: Minimizing Fluctuations in Humidity
People in a data center and leaking or un-insulated water pipes can increase humidity in the IT environment,
while the air conditioning process and infiltration by drier outside air can decrease humidity. Minimizing
these factors that affect humidity internal to the IT environment is equally as important as controlling
external factors. By controlling both internal and external factors that affect humidity levels in the data
center, IT professionals may maximize the performance of the systems that have been designed to regulate
that humidity.

Slide 21: Minimizing Fluctuations in Humidity

Minimizing infiltration of external factors protects the IT environment from chronic humidity control problems
that become acute with significant changes in outside weather. The use of vapor barriers in the construction
or renovation of computer rooms and data centers will help to control infiltration. A vapor barrier is any form
of protection that surrounds the IT environment against uncontrolled humidity gain or loss from outside the
room. A vapor barrier could simply involve sealing doorways, or it could mean retrofitting the structure of
the data center to seal the entire space. It is important to consider certain conditions when utilizing a vapor
barrier. These include:
• Sealing perimeter infiltrations – This involves blocking and sealing all entrance points that lead to
uncontrolled environments
• Sealing doorways – Doors and doorways should be sealed with high efficiency gaskets and
sweeps to guard against air and vapor leaks
• Paint perimeter walls – all perimeter walls from the structural deck to the ceiling should be treated
with paint impenetrable to moisture in order to minimize the amount of moisture infiltration.
• Avoid unnecessary openings – this becomes particularly relevant in spaced that have been
converted to IT rooms. Open access windows, mail slots, and too-large cable openings should all
be blocked or sealed.

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Slide 22: Converted Office Space
Office space that is converted into a computer room but still retains the building air conditioning system for
ventilation purposes creates unique challenges and benefits. The benefit is that the outdoor air required for
ventilation is already processed by the building climate control system to a moderate temperature and
humidity level before it enters the computer room. The challenge is ensuring that the large volume of air that
building systems typically introduce into office space (now converted to a computer room) does not conflict
with the operation of the room’s additional precision cooling equipment.

Slide 23: Converted Office Space

For example, if the volume of air entering the room from the building ventilation system is warmer or at a
different relative humidity than the desired setting on the computer room air conditioner, a portion of the air
conditioner’s capacity will be used to cool or change the humidity of the air as necessary. Computer rooms
with temperature and humidity problems that utilize both building and precision cooling systems require
operational scrutiny to prevent demand fighting situations.

Slide 24: Humidity Measurement

In order to evaluate overall cooling system performance, it is important to take periodic measurements of
humidity and temperature in the data center. To measure the humidity levels in the data center, the single
most important place to measure is at the cooling air intake on IT equipment, which on most pieces of
computing equipment is located in the front. Note the exhaust air exiting the server has a higher
temperature and lower humidity but the dew point is unchanged. This is because the nature of the heat a
server generates raises the temperature of the entering air but does not change the amount of moisture in
the air.

Slide 25: Humidity Measurement

Measurement at every piece of IT equipment is not normally possible. In environments that use rack
enclosures, it is acceptable to monitor humidity inside the front door of the enclosure. Monitoring points
should be 2 inches or 50 mm off the face of the rack equipment in the top 1/3 of the rack enclosure. This is

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the elevation where damaging low humidity conditions at the equipment air intake are most likely to occur.
The use of a temperature-humidity probe that interfaces with currently used operating and control systems
will facilitate monitoring and provide proactive warning of out-of-range humidity conditions. There are also
many hand-held monitoring devices available that allow for spot-checking of temperature and relative
humidity anywhere in the room.

Slide 26: Temperature Measurement

Measuring the temperature at the CRAC unit validates system performance. In order to do this, both return
and supply temperatures must be measured. Three monitoring points should be used on the supply and
return at the geometric center. In ideal conditions, the supply air temperature should be set to the inlet
temperature required at the server inlet. The return air temperature measured should be much greater than
the temperature at the server inlet.

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Slide 27: Operational Set Points
CRAC units should be tested to ensure that measured temperatures (supply & return) and humidity readings
are consistent with design values. Set points for temperature and humidity should be consistent on all
CRAC units in the data center. Unequal set points will lead to demand fighting and fluctuations in the room.
Heat loads and moisture content are relatively constant in an area and CRAC unit operation should be set in
groups by locking out competing modes through either a building management system (BMS) or a
communications cable between the CRACs in the group. No two units should be operating in competing
modes during a recorded interval, unless part of a separate group. When grouped, all units in a specific
group will be operating together for a distinct zone

Set point parameters should be within the following ranges to ensure system longevity and peak
performance.
• Temperature – 68-80.6°F (20-27°C)
• Humidity – 40-60% R.H.

Slide 28: Short Cycling

Despite proper operational set points, a common cooling challenge occurs when the cool supply air from the
CRAC unit bypasses the IT equipment and flows directly into the CRAC unit air return duct. This is known
as short cycling and is a leading cause of poor cooling performance in a data center. Temperature
measurement is one way to determine if short cycling is occurring. Measurements should be taken at the
CRAC supply duct, CRAC return duct, and at the server inlet. Return air temperatures lower than that of the
server inlet temperatures indicates short cycling inefficiencies. For example, if the CRAC supply AND
return temperatures are 70°F, but the server inlet temperature is measuring 75°F, this would be an
indication of short cycling.

Slide 30: Summary

• Environmental factors such as dew point, and relative humidity play an important role in data
center cooling

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 • Humidity measurement and control is vital for proper data center management
• Managing internal and external factors affecting humidity increases performance, and decreases
operational costs
• Demand fighting occurs when data center air conditioners operate in competing modes, and leads
to increased wastes, and decreased efficiency
• Maintaining proper operational thresholds ensures peak efficiency and maximizes system longevity
• Short cycling, a common cause of overheating, occurs when the cool supply air from the CRAC
unit bypasses the IT equipment and flows directly back into the CRAC unit air return duct

Slide 31: Thank You!

Thank you for participating in this course.

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