ultrasonic-generated fog.

The return air carrying the waste heat from the computers is cooled
evaporatively as it is humidified before it is introduced into the supply air stream; the common
direct evaporative cooler (or ‘swamp cooler’) widely used for greenhouses and in dry climates
is a form of adiabatic humidifier. Adiabatic bypass humidifiers can greatly extend the use of,
and savings from, economizers for data centers in dry, cold climates.
The figure below shows a simplified plan view of a small rooftop data center system that uses
an adiabatic humidifier scavenging waste heat from the return air. As shown, the outside air is
slightly too cold to be humidified to the desired dewpoint by direct adiabatic humidification,
hence the use of return air, which has more than enough heat energy to evaporate enough
moisture. Depending on climate, it can be beneficial to configure the adiabatic humidification
to act directly on the outside air to allow for evaporative cooling during hot, dry periods; the
example below is appropriate for cold climates.
FIGURE 1
ROOFTOP DATA CENTER SYSTEM
USING AN ADIABATIC HUMIDIFIER

Integrated economizers provide additional savings compared to non-integrated ones and are
the standard option on most modern package units since they are required by California Title
24 code for units over 2,500 CFM and 75,000 btu/hr capacity sold to the large office space mar-
ket. Rather than waiting until the outside air temperature falls to the supply air temperature
setpoint, an integrated economizer opens when the outside air temperature falls below the
economization setpoint, which for data centers is ideally the current return temperature
(usually plus one or two degrees to account for potential sensor inaccuracy). The 13
compressor(s) run as required and additionally cool the outside air temperature to the supply