Thermal

Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments | Fifth Edition

Essential Guidance for Data Center Designers and Operators

Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments provides groundbreaking,

vendor-neutral information that empowers data center designers, operators,
and managers to better determine the impacts of varying design and operation
parameters on information technology equipment (ITE).
This book covers six primary areas:
Guidelines for
• Environmental guidelines for air-cooled equipment
• New environmental class for high-density air-cooled equipment
• Environmental guidelines for liquid-cooled equipment
• Facility temperature and humidity measurement
• Equipment placement and airflow patterns
Data Processing
• Equipment manufacturers’ heat load and airflow requirement reporting
Since its first publication in 2004, Thermal Guidelines has enabled HVAC
equipment manufacturers and installers, data center designers, and facility
operators to find common solutions and standard practices that facilitate
ITE interchangeability while preserving industry innovation. This fifth edition
Environments
Fifth Edition
features clarified wording throughout, changes due to research on the effects
of high relative humidity and gaseous pollutants on the corrosion of ITE, and
a new environmental class for high-density server equipment. The book
also includes a removable reference card with helpful information for facility
managers and others. The reference card may also be accessed online.
This book is the first in the ASHRAE Datacom Series, authored by ASHRAE
Technical Committee 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities, Data Centers, Technology
Spaces and Electronic Equipment. The series provides comprehensive

1
treatment of datacom cooling and related subjects.

ISBN 978-1-947192-64-5 (pbk) ASHRAE Datacom Series, Book 1 1 ASHRAE Datacom Series
ISBN 978-1-947192-65-2 (PDF)

180 Technology Parkway

9 781947 192645 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
Product code: 90579 3/21
www.ashrae.org/bookstore
Thermal Guidelines for
Data Processing
Environments

Fifth Edition
Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments is authored by ASHRAE Tech-
nical Committee (TC) 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities, Technology Spaces and Electronic
Equipment. ASHRAE TC 9.9 is composed of a wide range of industry representatives,
including but not limited to equipment manufacturers, consulting engineers, data center
operators, academia, testing laboratories, and government officials who are all committed
to increasing and sharing the body of knowledge related to data centers.

Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments is not an ASHRAE Guideline

and has not been developed in accordance with ASHRAE’s consensus process.

For more information on the ASHRAE Datacom Series, visit

www.ashrae.org/datacenterguidance.

For more information on ASHRAE TC 9.9, visit

https://tc0909.ashraetcs.org/.

Updates and errata for this publication will be posted on the

ASHRAE website at www.ashrae.org/publicationupdates.
Thermal Guidelines
for Data Processing
Environments
Fifth Edition

ASHRAE Datacom Series

Book 1

Peachtree Corners
 ISBN 978-1-947192-64-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-947192-65-2 (PDF)
© 2004, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2021 ASHRAE. All rights reserved.

180 Technology Parkway · Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 · www.ashrae.org

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American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
____________________________________________

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ASHRAE expressly disclaims any duty to investigate, any product, service, process, proce-
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: ASHRAE (Firm), author.

Title: Thermal guidelines for data processing environments.
Description: Fifth edition. | Peachtree Corners, GA : ASHRAE : Peachtree
Corners, [2021] | Series: ASHRAE datacom series ; book 1 | Includes
bibliographical references. | Summary: "Covers equipment operating
environment guidelines for air-cooled equipment, environmental
guidelines for liquid-cooled equipment, facility temperature and
humidity measurement, equipment placement and airflow patterns,
equipment manufacturers' heat load and airflow requirements reporting,
and methods for increasing energy efficiency and avoiding electrostatic
discharge"-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020046021 | ISBN 9781947192645 (paperback) | ISBN
9781947192652 (adobe pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Data processing service centers--Cooling. | Data processing
service centers--Heating and ventilation. | Buildings--Environmental
engineering. | Data processing service centers--Design and construction.
| Electronic data processing departments--Equipment and
supplies--Protection. | Electronic apparatus and appliances--Cooling.
Classification: LCC TH7688.C64 T488 2021 | DDC 697.9/316--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020046021

ASHRAE STAFF
SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
PUBLISHING SERVICES
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
AND EDUCATION
Cindy Sheffield Michaels, Editor
James Madison Walker, Managing Editor of Standards
Lauren Ramsdell, Associate Editor
Mary Bolton, Assistant Editor
Michshell Phillips, Senior Editorial Coordinator
David Soltis, Group Manager of Publishing Services
Jayne Jackson, Publication Traffic Administrator
Mark S. Owen



Contents
Preface to the Fifth Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Chapter 1—Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Book Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Primary Users of This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 Adoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 2—Environmental Guidelines for Air-Cooled Equipment . . . 9

2.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 New Air-Cooled Equipment Environmental Specifications . . . . 11
2.2.1 Environmental Class Definitions 
for Air-Cooled Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.2.2 Environmental Class Definition 
for High-Density Air-Cooled Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.2.3 ETSI Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.3 Guide for the Use and Application of the
ASHRAE Data Center Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.4 Server Metrics to Consider in Using Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.4.1 Server Power Trend versus Ambient Temperature . . . . 28
2.4.2 Acoustical Noise Levels versusAmbient Temperature . . 30
2.4.3 Server Reliability Trend versus Ambient Temperature. . 32
2.4.4 Server Reliability versus Moisture, Contamination, 
and Other Temperature Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.4.5 Server Performance Trend versus 
Ambient Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.4.6 Server Cost Trend versus Ambient Temperature. . . . . . 39
2.4.7 Summary of Air-Cooled Equipment
Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
vi Contents

Chapter 3—Environmental Guidelines for

Liquid-Cooled Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
3.1 ITE Liquid Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3.1.1 New Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3.1.2 Expansions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3.1.3 High-Performance Computing 
and Other High-Density Workloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3.1.4 ITE and Facilities Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3.2 Facility Water Supply Temperature Classes for ITE . . . . . . . . .46
3.2.1 Liquid Cooling Environmental Class Definitions . . . . . . .46
3.2.2 Condensation Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Chapter 4—Facility Temperature and Humidity Measurement . . . . .49

4.1 Facility Health and Audit Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
4.1.1 Aisle Measurement Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
4.1.2 HVAC Operational Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
4.1.3 Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
4.2 Equipment Installation Verification Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
4.3 Equipment Troubleshooting Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
4.4 Cooling Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Chapter 5—Equipment Placement and Airflow Patterns . . . . . . . . . .57

5.1 Equipment Airflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
5.1.1 Airflow Protocol Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
5.1.2 Airflow Protocol for Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
5.1.3 Cabinet Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
5.2 Equipment Room Airflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
5.2.1 Placement of Cabinets and Rows of Cabinets . . . . . . . .59
5.2.2 Cabinets with Dissimilar Airflow Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . .60
5.2.3 Aisle Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Chapter 6—Equipment Manufacturers’ 

Heat and Airflow Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
6.1 Providing Heat Release and Airflow Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
6.2 Equipment Thermal Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
6.3 EPA ENERGY STAR Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Fifth Edition vii

Appendix A—2021 ASHRAE Environmental Guidelines for ITE—

Expanding the Recommended Environmental Envelope . . . . . . . . . 71
A.1 Dry-Bulb Temperature Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
A.1.1 Low End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
A.1.2 High End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
A.2 Moisture Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
A.2.1 High End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
A.2.2 Low End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
A.3 Acoustical Noise Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
A.4 Data Center Operation Scenarios for the
Recommended Environmental Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Appendix B—2021 Air-Cooled Equipment

Thermal Guidelines (I-P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Appendix C—Detailed Flowchart for the 

Use and Application of the ASHRAE Data Center Classes . . . . . . . . 89
C.1 Notes for Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
C.2 Nomenclature for Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Appendix D—ESD Research and Static Control Measures. . . . . . . . 95

D.1 ESD Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
D.2 ESD Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
D.3 Personnel and Operational Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
D.4 Flooring Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
D.4.1 Measuring Floor Resistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
D.5 Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Appendix E—Research on the Effect of 

RH and Gaseous Pollutants on ITE Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
E.1 Conclusions from the Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Appendix F—Psychrometric Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Appendix G—Altitude Derating Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Appendix H—Practical Example of the Impact of

Compressorless Cooling on Hardware Failure Rates . . . . . . . . . . . 119
viii Contents

Appendix I—ITE Reliability Data for

Selected Major U.S. and Global Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
I.1 Notes on Figures and Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Appendix J—OSHA and Personnel Working in 

High Air Temperatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

Appendix K—Allowable Server 

Inlet Temperature Rate of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Appendix L—Allowable Server Inlet RH Limits versus 

Maximum Inlet Dry-Bulb Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

References and Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Fifth Edition,

is accompanied by supplemental online content.



Preface to the Fifth Edition
Prior to the 2004 publication of the first edition of Thermal Guidelines for Data
Processing Environments, there was no single source in the data center industry for
information technology equipment (ITE) temperature and humidity requirements.
This book established groundbreaking common design points endorsed by the major
information technology original equipment manufacturers (IT OEMs). The second
edition, published in 2008, created a new precedent by expanding the recommended
temperature and humidity ranges.
The third edition (2012) broke new ground through the addition of new data
center environmental classes that enable near-full-time use of free-cooling tech-
niques in most of the world’s climates. This exciting development also brought
increased complexity and trade-offs that required more careful evaluation in their
application due to the potential impact on the ITE to be supported.
The fourth edition (2015b) took further steps to increase the energy efficiency
of data centers by reducing the requirements for humidification. ASHRAE funded
the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Laboratory at the Missouri University of
Science and Technology from 2011 to 2014 to investigate the risk of upsets or
damage to electronics related to electrostatic discharge (ESD). The concerns raised
prior to the study regarding the increase in ESD-induced risk with reduced humidity
were not justified (Pommerenke et al. 2014).
This fifth edition of Thermal Guidelines is primarily focused on two major
changes—one is a result of the ASHRAE-funded research project RP-1755 (Zhang
et al. 2019a) on the effects of high relative humidity (RH) and gaseous pollutants on
corrosion of ITE, and the second is the addition of a new environmental class for
high-density equipment. ASHRAE funded the Syracuse University Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering Department from 2015 to 2018 to investigate the risk of oper-
ating data centers at higher levels of moisture when high levels of gaseous pollutants
exist. The objective was to evaluate the ability to increase the recommended moisture
level in support of reducing energy required by data centers. The changes made to the
recommended envelope based on this research study are shown in Chapter 2, with the
details for the basis of these changes reported in Appendix E. A new environmental
class for high-density server equipment has also been added to accommodate high-
performance equipment that cannot meet the requirements of the current environ-
mental classes A1through A4. The fifth edition also changes the naming of the liquid
cooling classes to represent maximum facility water temperatures.
A cornerstone idea carried over from previous editions of Thermal Guide-
lines is that inlet temperature is the only temperature that matters to ITE.
x Preface to the Fifth Edition

Although there are reasons to want to consider the impact of equipment outlet
temperature on the hot aisle, it does not impact the reliability or performance of
the ITE. Also, each manufacturer balances design and performance require-
ments when determining their equipment design temperature rise. Data center
operators should expect to understand the equipment inlet temperature distribu-
tion throughout their data centers and take steps to monitor these conditions. A
facility designed to maximize efficiency by aggressively applying new operating
ranges and techniques will require a complex, multivariable optimization
performed by an experienced data center architect.
Although the vast majority of data centers are air cooled at the IT load, liquid
cooling is becoming more commonplace and likely will be adopted to a greater
extent due to its enhanced operational efficiency, potential for increased density, and
opportunity for heat recovery. Consequently, the fourth and fifth editions of Thermal
Guidelines for Data Processing Environments include definitions of liquid-cooled
environmental classes and descriptions of their applications. Even a primarily
liquid-cooled data center may have air-cooled IT within. As a result, a combination
of air-cooled and liquid-cooled classes will typically be specified for a given data
center.



Acknowledgments
ASHRAE Technical Committee (TC) 9.9 would like to thank the following
members of the IT subcommittee for their groundbreaking work and willingness to
share in order to further the understanding of the entire data center industry and for
their active participation, including conference calls, writing/editing, and reviews:
Dustin Demetriou (IBM), Dave Moss (Dell), Mark Steinke (AMD), Roger Schmidt
(IBM, retired), and Robin Steinbrecher (Intel, retired). Thanks also to Roger
Schmidt for leading the effort on updating this fifth edition.
A special thanks is due to Syracuse University Mechanical and Aerospace Engi-
neering Department and the leadership of Professor Jianshun Zhang and his team,
including PhD student Rui Zhang, for carrying out the research to investigate the
effect of high humidity and gaseous pollutants on information technology equip-
ment (ITE). The result of this work was the primary reason for this fifth edition.
ASHRAE TC 9.9 also wishes to thank the following people for their construc-
tive comments on the draft of this edition: Jason Matteson (Isotope), Jon Fitch
(Midas Green Technologies), John Gross (J. M. Gross Engineering, LLC), Dave
Kelley (Vertiv, retired), Ecton English, Gerardo Alfonso (Ingeal), and Vali Sorell
(Microsoft).
Finally, special thanks to Neil Chauhan of DLB Associates for creating a consis-
tent set of graphics for this updated edition.
1



Introduction
Over the years, the power density of electronic equipment has steadily
increased. In addition, the mission-critical nature of computing has sensitized busi-
nesses to the health of their data centers. The combination of these effects makes it
obvious that better alignment is needed between equipment manufacturers and facil-
ity operations personnel to ensure proper and fault-tolerant operation within data
centers.
This need was recognized by an industry consortium in 1999 that began a grass-
roots effort to provide a power density road map and to work toward standardizing
power and cooling of the equipment for seamless integration into a data center. The
Industry Thermal Management Consortium produced the first projection of heat
density trends. The IT Subcommittee of ASHRAE Technical Committee (TC) 9.9
is the successor of that industry consortium. An updated set of power trend charts
was published in IT Equipment Power Trends, Third Edition (ASHRAE 2018b).
These updated equipment power trends extend to 2025.
The objective of Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Fifth
Edition, is to do the following:

• Provide standardized operating environments for equipment

• Provide and define a common environmental interface for the equipment and
its surroundings
• Provide guidance on how to evaluate and test the operational health of a data
center
• Provide a methodology for reporting the environmental characteristics of a
computer system
• Guide data center owners and operators in making changes in the data center
environment
• Provide the basis for measuring the effect of any changes intended to save
energy in data centers

This book provides equipment manufacturers and facility operations personnel

with a common set of guidelines for environmental conditions. It is important to
recognize that the ASHRAE TC 9.9 IT Subcommittee is made up of subject matter
experts from the major information technology equipment (ITE) manufacturers. It
is the intent of ASHRAE TC 9.9 to update this book regularly.
Unless otherwise stated, the thermal guidelines in this document refer to data
center and other data-processing environments. Telecom central offices are
discussed in detail in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
2 Introduction

standard ETSI EN 300 019-1-3 (2014), which is referenced when there is a compar-
ison between data centers and telecom rooms. It is important to show the comparison
where some convergence in these environments may occur in the future.

1.1 BOOK FLOW

Following this introductory chapter, this book continues as follows:

• Chapter 2, “Environmental Guidelines for Air-Cooled Equipment,” pro-

vides

• descriptions of the A1-A4 environmental classes and a new H1 high-den-

sity server environmental class,
• temperature and humidity conditions that ITE must meet for all classes,
• the recommended operating environment for all of the ITE classes,
• the opportunity for facility operators to plan excursions into the allowable
range or modify the recommended operating envelope based on details
provided in this book on the effect of data center environments on server
operation and reliability,
• the effect of altitude on each data center class, and
• Chapter 3, “Environmental Guidelines for Liquid-Cooled Equipment,”
provides information on five environmental classes for supply water tempera-
ture and other characteristics.
• Chapter 4, “Facility Temperature and Humidity Measurement,” provides
a recommended procedure for measuring temperature and humidity in a data
center. Different protocols are described depending on whether the purpose of
the measurement is to perform an audit on the data center, an equipment
installation verification test, or an equipment troubleshooting test.
• Chapter 5, “Equipment Placement and Airflow Patterns,” examines rec-
ommended airflow protocols, hot-aisle/cold-aisle configurations, and recom-
mended equipment placement.
• Chapter 6, “Equipment Manufacturers’ Heat and Airflow Reporting,”
provides manufacturers with a methodology for reporting sufficient dimen-
sional, heat load, and airflow data to allow a data center to be adequately
designed to meet equipment requirements but not overdesigned, as might be
the case if nameplate equipment ratings were used to estimate heat loads.
• Appendix A, “2021 ASHRAE Environmental Guidelines for ITE—
Expanding the Recommended Environmental Envelope,” describes some
of the methodology used in determining the recommended envelope and also
some scenarios for how the recommended and allowable envelopes can be
applied in an operational data center.
• Appendix B, “2021 Air-Cooled Equipment Thermal Guidelines (I-P),” shows
the new air-cooled equipment classes in I-P units.
• Appendix C, “Detailed Flowchart for the Use and Application of the
ASHRAE Data Center Classes,” provides, in detail, guidance for data center
 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Fifth Edition 3

operators to achieve data center operation within a specific environmental

envelope.
• Appendix D, “ESD Research and Static Control Measures,” discusses the
need for minimum humidity levels and basic electrostatic discharge (ESD)
protection protocols in data centers.
• Appendix E, “Research on the Effect of RH and Gaseous Pollutants on
ITE Reliability,” discusses the research that provides an expanded recom-
mended environmental envelope for increased data center energy savings.
• Appendix F, “Psychrometric Charts,” shows various psychrometric charts
for the air-cooled classes in different units.
• Appendix G, “Altitude Derating Curves,” shows the envelopes of tempera-
ture and elevation for Classes A1 through A4 and H1.
• Appendix H, “Practical Example of the Impact of Compressorless Cool-
ing on Hardware Failure Rates,” uses a hypothetical data center implemen-
tation in the city of Chicago to guide the reader through assessing the impact
of a compressorless cooling design on hardware failure rates using the infor-
mation in this book.
• Appendix I, “ITE Reliability Data for Selected Major U.S. and Global
Cities,” uses ASHRAE’s Weather Data Viewer software (2009b) and the rela-
tive hardware failure rate information in this book to provide localized metrics
on net hardware failure rates and annual hours per year of compressorized
cooling needed in selected major U.S. and global cities.
• Appendix J, “OSHA and Personnel Working in High Air Temperatures,”
provides some information and guidance on personnel working in high-
temperature environments.
• Appendix K, “Allowable Server Inlet Temperature Rate of Change,” con-
tains background information that explains the change to the temperature rate
of change specification that was made in the fourth edition of the book
(ASHRAE 2015b). Examples are provided to illustrate temperature changes
that are and are not acceptable for the new specification.
• Appendix L, “Allowable Server Inlet RH Limits versus Maximum Inlet
Dry-Bulb Temperature,” contains x-y climatogram plots to illustrate how
the application of the dew-point limits in ASHRAE specifications can restrict
relative humidity values at high and low temperatures.
• References and Bibliography provides references as cited throughout this
book as well as sources for additional information.
• The Reference Card provides helpful, easy-to-access information for facility
managers and others. This card can be found in the front pocket of the book
and online as a downloadable Adobe© Acrobat© PDF.
4 Introduction

1.2 PRIMARY USERS OF THIS BOOK

Primary users of this book are those involved in the design, construction,
commissioning, operation, implementation, and maintenance of equipment rooms.
Others who may benefit from this book are those involved in the development and
design of electronic equipment. Specific examples of the book’s intended audience
include the following:

• Computer equipment manufacturers—research and development, marketing,

and sales organizations
• Infrastructure equipment manufacturers—cooling and power
• Consultants
• General and trade contractors
• Equipment operators, IT departments, facilities engineers, and chief informa-
tion officers

1.3 ADOPTION
It is the hope of ASHRAE TC 9.9 that many equipment manufacturers and facil-
ities managers will follow the guidance provided in this book. Data center facilities
managers can be confident that these guidelines have been produced by IT manu-
facturers.
Manufacturers can self-certify that specific models of equipment operate as
intended in data processing air-cooling environmental classes A1, A2, A3, A4, and
H1 and the liquid-cooling environmental classes W17 through W+.

1.4 DEFINITIONS
air:
conditioned air: air treated to control its temperature, relative humidity, purity,
pressure, and movement.
supply air: air entering a space from an air-conditioning, heating, or ventilating
apparatus.
annual failure rate (AFR): average number of failures per year.
availability: a percentage value representing the degree to which a system or compo-
nent is operational and accessible when required for use.
basic input/output system (BIOS): set of computer instructions in firmware that
control input and output operations.
cabinet: frame for housing electronic equipment that is enclosed by doors and is
stand-alone; this is generally found with high-end servers.
computer room: a room or portions of a building serving an ITE load less than or
equal to 10 kW or 215 W/m2 (20 W/ft2) or less of conditioned floor area.
 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Fifth Edition 5

coolant distribution unit (CDU): 1) creates an isolated secondary loop, separate

from the chilled-water supply (building chilled water, dedicated chiller, etc.),
enabling strict containment and precise control of the liquid cooling system for the
ITE and 2) maintains the supply temperature of the liquid cooling loop for the ITE
above the dew point of the data center, preventing condensation and ensuring 100%
sensible cooling.
data center: a room or building, or portions thereof, including computer rooms
served by data center systems, serving a total ITE load greater than 10 kW or 215 W/
m2 (20 W/ft2) of conditioned floor area.
dew point (DP): the atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and
humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.
electrostatic discharge (ESD): the sudden flow of electricity between two electri-
cally charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short, or dielectric breakdown.
equipment: refers but is not limited to servers, storage products, workstations,
personal computers, and transportable computers; may also be referred to as elec-
tronic equipment or ITE.
equipment room: data center or telecom central office room that houses computer
and/or telecom equipment; for rooms housing mostly telecom equipment, see
Telcordia GR-3028-CORE (2001).
framework: structural portion of a frame.
heat:
latent heat: change of enthalpy during a change of state.
sensible heat: heat that causes a change in temperature.
total heat (enthalpy): a thermodynamic quantity equal to the sum of the internal
energy of a system plus the product of the pressure-volume work done on the
system:
h = U + pv
where
h = enthalpy or total heat content
U = internal energy of the system
p = pressure
v = volume
For the purposes of this document, h = sensible heat + latent heat.
high-performance computing (HPC): most generally refers to the practice of
aggregating computing power in a way that delivers much higher performance than
is possible from a typical desktop computer or workstation in order to solve large
problems in science, engineering, or business.
6 Introduction

humidity:
absolute humidity: the mass of water vapor in a specific volume of a mixture
of water vapor and dry air.
humidity ratio: the ratio of the mass of water to the total mass of a moist air
sample; it is usually expressed as grams of water per kilogram of dry air (gw/kgda)
or as pounds of water per pound of dry air (lbw/lbda).
relative humidity (RH):
a. Ratio of the partial pressure or density of water vapor to the saturation pres-
sure or density, respectively, at the same dry-bulb temperature and baro-
metric pressure of the ambient air.
b. Ratio of the mole fraction of water vapor to the mole fraction of water
vapor saturated at the same temperature and barometric pressure; at
100% rh, the dry-bulb, wet-bulb, and dew-point temperatures are equal.
information technology (IT): the study or use of systems (especially computers and
telecommunications) for storing, retrieving, and sending information.
information technology equipment (ITE): devices or systems that use digital tech-
niques for purposes such as data processing and computation.
information technology original equipment manufacturer (IT OEM): tradition-
ally, a company whose goods are used as components in the products of another
company, which then sells the finished item to users.
IT space: a space dedicated primarily to computers and servers but with environ-
mental and support requirements typically less stringent than those of a data center.
liquid cooled: cases where liquid must be circulated to and from the electronics
within the ITE for cooling with no other form of heat transfer.
mean time between failures (MTBF): the average time between system breakdowns.
power:
measured power: the heat release in watts, as defined in Chapter 6, Section 6.1,
“Providing Heat Release and Airflow Values.”
nameplate rating: term used for rating according to nameplate (IEC 60950-1,
under clause 1.7.1: “Equipment shall be provided with a power rating marking,
the purpose of which is to specify a supply of correct voltage and frequency, and
of adequate current-carrying capacity” [IEC 2005]).
rated current: “The input current of the equipment as declared by the manu-
facturer” (IEC 2005); the rated current is the absolute maximum current that is
required by the unit from an electrical branch circuit.
rated frequency: the supply frequency as declared by the manufacturer.
 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Fifth Edition 7

rated frequency range: the supply frequency range as declared by the manu-
facturer, expressed by its lower- and upper-rated frequencies.
rated voltage: the supply voltage as declared by the manufacturer.
rated voltage range: the supply voltage range as declared by the manufacturer.
power usage effectiveness (PUETM): the ratio of total amount of energy used by a
computer data center facility to the energy delivered to the computer equipment. See
PUETM: A Comprehensive Examination of the Metric (ASHRAE 2014c) for more
information.
printed circuit board (PCB): an electronic circuit consisting of thin strips of a
conducting material such as copper that have been etched from a layer fixed to a flat
insulating sheet and to which integrated circuits and other components are attached.
rack: frame for housing electronic equipment.
rack-mounted equipment: equipment that is to be mounted in an Electronic Industry
Alliance (EIA) or similar cabinet; these systems are generally specified in EIA units,
such as 1U, 2U, 3U, where 1U = 44 mm (1.75 in.).
reliability: percentage value representing the probability that a piece of equipment
or system will be operable throughout its mission duration; values of 99.9% (“three
nines”) and higher are common in data and communications equipment areas. For
individual components, reliability is often determined through testing; for assem-
blies and systems, reliability is often the result of a mathematical evaluation based
on the reliability or individual components and any redundancy or diversity that may
be used.
room load capacity: the point at which the equipment heat load in the room no longer
allows the equipment to run within the specified temperature requirements of the
equipment; Chapter 4 defines where these temperatures are measured. The load
capacity is influenced by many factors, the primary factor being the room theoretical
capacity; other factors, such as the layout of the room and load distribution, also
influence the room load capacity.
room theoretical capacity: the capacity of the room based on the mechanical room
equipment capacity; this is the sensible capacity in kilowatts (tons) of the mechan-
ical room for supporting the computer or telecom room heat loads.
stock keeping unit (SKU): the number of one specific product available for sale. If
a hardware device or software package comes in different versions, there is a SKU
for each one.
temperature:
dew-point temperature: the temperature at which water vapor has reached the
saturation point (100% rh).
dry-bulb temperature: the temperature of air indicated by a thermometer.
8 Introduction

wet-bulb temperature: the temperature indicated by a psychrometer when the

bulb of one thermometer is covered with a water-saturated wick over which air
is caused to flow at approximately 4.5 m/s (900 ft/min) to reach an equilibrium
temperature of water evaporating into air, where the heat of vaporization is
supplied by the sensible heat of the air.
thermal design power (TDP): the maximum amount of heat generated by a
computer chip or component (often a CPU, GPU, or system on a chip) that the cool-
ing system in a computer is designed to dissipate under any workload. Sometimes
called thermal design point.
Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®): American Conference of Governmental and
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) guidelines for work in extreme heat or in hot envi-
ronments that consist of work-rest (WR) allocations designed to ensure a stable core
temperature that does not exceed 38°C (100.4°F) (ACGIH 2017). See Appendix J.
total cost of ownership (TCO): the purchase price of an asset plus the costs of oper-
ation. Assessing the TCO represents taking a bigger-picture look at what the product
is and what its value is over time.
ventilation: the process of supplying or removing air by natural or mechanical
means to or from any space; such air may or may not have been conditioned.
wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT): a measure of the heat stress in direct sunlight,
which takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud
cover (solar radiation). See Appendix J for more information.
x-factor: a dimensionless metric that measures the relative hardware failure rate at
a given constant equipment inlet dry-bulb temperature when compared to a baseline
of the average hardware failure rate at a constant equipment inlet dry-bulb tempera-
ture of 20°C (68°F). See Chapter 2, Section 2.4.3, for a table of x-factor values.
x-factor, time-weighted (or net): a dimensionless metric indicating a statistical
equipment failure rate over a defined range of environmental temperatures when
compared to a constant baseline temperature of 20°C (68°F); it is calculated by
summing individual time-at-temperature bins multiplied by their associated x-factor.