What is a Glycol Cooled System and How Does it Work?
A glycol cooled system is a type of air-cooling system. It is commonly used in data centers, server farms, and other large facilities where continuous air-cooling is not feasible. The glycol cooling system uses a closed loop of chilled water and glycol to remove heat from computers. The water is circulated through the data center and removes heat from the computers. No computers are directly cooled with ice or water. Instead, the computers are cooled with a glycol chilled water loop. The water is chilled with a glycol loop that is connected to a mains water supply. The water passes through a chiller, then passes through the data center. In this article, we will explore how a glycol cooled data center works.
What is Glycol?
A glycol is a mixture of propylene glycol (a food preservative) with additives that keep it from freezing. It is a cheap, non-toxic, and odorless substance that is used for cooling systems. Glycol is used because it does not conduct electricity, is non-flammable, and easy to transport and store. It has a low freezing point, below zero Fahrenheit. Propylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet tasting. It is also non-toxic, odorless, non-flammable, and non-carcinogenic. It is an excellent alternative to water, a highly efficient heat transfer fluid.
Why Use Glycol for Cooling Systems?
A glycol cooled system is used when a facility needs to remove heat from a building or an area. Before a data center can use glycol cooling, the electrical wiring and the building must be grounded. The ground is a connection between an electrical system and the earth. If nothing is connected to the ground, then there is no way to transfer electricity through the ground. Without an electrical ground, an electric current will flow between the computers and the ground. The ground is the connection between the computer system and the earth, so it is required for power to flow through the data center. For a glycl cooling system, water is chilled with the glycol loop and then passed through the data center. The glycol removes the heat from the computer equipment. The water also acts as a backup for the cooling system in case of a power outage. In this case, the data center does not lose electricity and the servers do not overheat.
How Does a Glycol Cooled System work in a Data Center?
The data center is the server room where all the computers are kept. They are kept in the air-conditioned environment known as a data center. The data center keeps the computers cool, so they can run without producing too much heat. A data center needs cooling because the computers generate so much heat. Typically, in a data center, server rooms are kept at 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature of the rooms is too high, the equipment will overheat. If it is too low, the computer equipment will not operate efficiently. Glycol cooling can be used to keep the temperature of the data center at a constant 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooling systems remove excess heat from the computers.
Benefits of a Glycol Cooled Data Center
– Reduced Power Consumption – Power consumption is reduced because the servers don’t have to work as hard to create electricity. This can be beneficial for data centers that are designed to operate 24/7. Generally, data centers are required to be shut off or powered down when it’s not necessary. With a glycol system, the data center will not have to shut down when it’s not necessary. – Saves Money – A glycol cooled data center will require less electricity because less heat is required to keep the servers cool. This will save money in the long term. – Increased Performance – A data center that is cooled with glycol can operate more efficiently, increasing the performance of the computers in the data center. – Reduced Equipment Damage – Overheated equipment is more likely to break. Glycol cooling prevents the equipment from getting too hot and breaking down. – Lower Carbon Footprint – Because glycol is a non-polluting and non-flammable liquid, it helps a data center have a lower carbon footprint.
Disadvantages of a Glycol Cooled Data Center
– Expensive – The installation of a glycol system can be expensive, especially if the data center needs to be cooled to a large degree. – Exposed Conduits and Cables – Exposed piping or conduits pose a fire hazard risk to the data center staff and visitors. Exposed cables also pose a risk of damage to employees. – Requires Modifications to the Space – A data center needs to be modified to include piping, pumps, valves, and pipes that connect the glycol loop to the data center. This can be expensive and a disruption to the data center. – Possible Pump Failure – A pump generally runs the glycol loop and could fail. This could lead to a complete failure of the data center with no way to restart the system. Backup pumps are required to keep the data center from failing.
Conclusion
A glycol cooled data center is used when a facility needs to remove heat from a building or an area. Before a data center can use glycol cooling, the electrical wiring and the building must be grounded. The ground is a connection between an electrical system and the earth. If nothing is connected to the ground, then there is no way to transfer electricity through the ground. Without an electrical ground, an electric current will flow between the computers and the ground. The ground is the connection between the computer system and the earth, so it is required for power to flow through the data center. For a glycol cooling system, water is chilled with the glycol loop and then passed through the data center. The glycol removes the heat from the computer equipment. The water also acts as a backup for the cooling system in case of a power outage. In this case, the data center does not lose electricity and the servers do not overheat.