Contingency chiller cover

When an emergency call from a major Belfast data centre went out, Aska Sykes, a specialist hire company in Ireland was the first point of contact. Resulting from that initial call, a 750kW chiller was specified and quickly on site after being despatched from the Andrews Chillers Birmingham office and installed to provide contingency cover should the centre’s only remaining on-site chiller plant fail.

Computer suites are notoriously temperature critical; heat dissipated from computers, servers and other associated electronic equipment easily builds and is a major contributor to rising room temperatures. Advanced suite designs and modern servers generating less heat assist in combating rapid and severe temperature fluctuations; however any potential threat such as above average outside temperatures could have a detrimental effect.

With any temperature rise there can be a subsequent increase in room humidity creating potential from electrostatic discharge which is detrimental to safe and secure computer performance.  The outcome is potential total loss of or corruption to data.

The computer suite at this major Irish data centre provides vital support and back-up to a number of network centres throughout the UK and Ireland.  Such is the severity of losing control of a stable room environment the data centre has roof mounted air-cooled chillers feeding the air-conditioning system. The centre functions with two chillers, at any instance only one is actually operational the other on stand-by for emergency cover.

When one of the onsite chillers failed the standby unit was switched on. This was an uncomfortable situation, there was no backup, should this unit fail the whole of the centre’s operation and support service would be in jeopardy. It was too dangerous to operate with no backup, temporary chiller hire was required.

The mechanical/electrical firm responsible for maintaining chiller operation had previous experience of working with Andrews Sykes in the past in the UK. In the current situation speed of response, quality of the equipment and reliability of service was critical in ensuring that promises made to the data centre would be delivered on time.

After being contacted, a site visit was completed within 24 hours and the 750kW unit on site on the agreed date. This powerful skid mounted fluid air chiller was placed in a loading bay with flexible hoses run to the roof, tapping into the existing system.

Peace of mind has returned to the Belfast data centre since, with the Andrews Chiller unit the status-quo has returned, two fully functional chillers, one operational and one on standby.