Hot Aisle Containment vs. Cold Aisle Containment: Which is better for the Data Center?
We can see extensive use of containment in data centers; many sites have adopted hot or cool aisle containment for better IT operations. With the increasing demand, it is to be determined which aisle is better, hot or cold. Both the containment aims to make the situation better for the IT equipment by maintaining the temperature. But, no data center is similar; hence it is essential to know which containment solution will be best for you. A good Cold Aisle containment manufacturer also contributes to the quality of your system. Let us see in detail the pros and cons of hot aisle and cold aisle containment for your better understanding and easy choice.
- Cold Aisle containment:
Benefits:
The cold aisle containment is easy to install without needing different architecture to contain exhaust air and return it to the cooling units.
Only require doors at end and cap at the top
It is generally less expensive and gives more surface area for cold sinks.
Cold aisles are easier to fit in the existing system with power and network distribution, ducts, and lighting.
It is unnecessary to place the cold aisle on a raised platform but is preferred to overcome difficulties in supplying the cold air.
Challenges:
In the cold aisle system, the overall data center becomes a hot aisle, the higher temperature results in higher exhaust temperature.
The cold aisle containment increases the mixing of return air and decreases Delta.
There can be leakage from the raised floor and openings under the equipment like PDUs, entering the exhaust air paths.
Cold aisle containment also forms separate volumes, so there is a need of creating fire suppression for the overall data center.
- Hot Aisle Containment
Benefits:
Open area acts as a cold environment
Leakage from the raised floor goes into the cold space.
More effective than cold aisle containment
Hot aisle containment can work better in a slab environment by filling the data center with an adequate amount of supply air.
Challenges:
Require a contained path solely for carrying air from the hot aisle to cooling units.
It is more expensive
Higher temperatures in the hot aisle can make it difficult for people to work.
Apart from all these factors, it is also necessary to look at the effects on bypass airflow. Bypass airflow happens when the total flow rate of the air exceeds the flow rate of the air in equipment, installation of both hot and cold aisles does not limit the flow rate of the air in a data center.
Comparing these two, hot aisle is a better option, but as every data center is different, the choices may vary a lot. It is also essential to choose a manufacturer who can provide you with a cold and hold aisle for a perfectly balanced data center, depending upon the requirements. Netrack is a Hot Aisle containment manufacturer, making high-quality products for its customers for decades. If you want more information regarding the hot and cold aisle or want to know which works best for your system, you can visit the following site:
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