Data centre cooling package preserves network infrastructure at Mont Blanc Tunnel

Data centers are an integral part of every organisation’s business operations, housing critical information and disseminating it as required. Operating 24/7, their security and reliability must be constantly monitored in order to protect a company’s online activities.

In processing large amounts of data at exceptionally high speeds, these computing devices accumulate a significant amount of heat that must be removed from the vicinity. Hardware components rely primarily on fans for cooling, but the premises in which the equipment is installed must be kept at low temperature and at a specific humidity level.

Over the years, Nolo Climat – our Italian strand of the Andrews Sykes Group – has found itself installing temporary systems for climate control in data centers across the country.

Our experience led us to being recently called into action by the company responsible for managing one of the largest Alpine tunnels.

The essential replacement of air conditioning systems inside two separate server rooms located at the tunnel necessitated the implementation of a back-up solution that was expected to be required for a total of eight weeks.

Following careful evaluation from one of our leading technicians, we decided to hire two 50kW chillers and four 15kW fan coils. The two refrigeration units were installed outside the tunnel and connected to fan coils via pipework supplied by us. Like all Andrews chillers, these units can be connected to air handling units to guarantee localised and effective air conditioning.

In addition, we rented two ET25 air conditioners for a separate server room that was specifically dedicated to alarm management.

Prior to each installation, our engineers examine the application thoroughly to ensure we identify the cooling requirements and space availability first time around. We also make sure that the client’s budget is always considered, as it was in this instance.

Given the urgency of this project and the fact there was an immediate need to get kit on site as quickly as possible, we arranged for it to be delivered the same night contact was first made.

Since then, our solution has been up and running without incident, to the customer’s relief, where it will remain until a comprehensively planned upgrade has been completed.