CyberSonic®: Air humidification improves energy efficiency in data centres

How cost-effectively a data centre operates depends to a large extent on optimum cooling of the air. It is not only heat which impairs the performance and durability of servers however. Insufficient humidity can also be detrimental. In CyberSonic^®, STULZ Klimatechnik has developed a humidifier cabinet specially for data centres which enables operators to save money.




Hamburg, October 2010. Data centres are subject to one key demand: they have to keep working. And that means providing the installed systems with lots of cooling. Since air conditioner units not only cool but also continuously dehumidify, this can become problematic. René Seeliger, STULZ development and design manager, says: "If humidity is too low, it can damage the hardware." The optimum operating climate prevents outages and extends the service lives of the servers.

CyberSonic^® pays off
Just like air conditioning systems, air humidifiers should be tailored closely to needs at the specific location. CyberSonic^® from STULZ is designed specially for data centres. It is an ultrasonic humidifier with the familiar UltraSonic^® series which automatically regulates the in-room humidity. "The ultrasound principle is a key factor in improving the energy efficiency of a data centre," Seeliger asserts. "During humidification, evaporation of the water simultaneously cools the room air. As a positive side-effect of this, the cooling capacity of the air-conditioning system can be reduced. The shorter A/C compressor running times result in greatly reduced operating costs. And CyberSonic^® is highly economical in terms of power consumption too, using 93 percent less than conventional steam humidifiers."
Nature makes use of the adiabatic cooling effect in human beings for example. When people sweat, beads of perspiration evaporate on the skin, causing the body to cool down. The Stulz CyberSonic humidifier evaporates as much as 42 kg of water an hour, based on minimal energy input, to generate cooling power of up to 29 kW.
At a data centre with a 500 kW heat load, in which DX air conditioner units are installed, using ultrasonic humidification can reduce compressor running times by as much as 5%. Combined with the savings compared to conventional steam humidifiers, this means total operating costs for air conditioning can be cut by almost 20%.

Easy installation and maintenance
The CyberSonic^® ultrasonic humidifier is housed in a cabinet of the same size as a standard A/C unit (width x depth x height: 2550 mm x 890 mm x 1980 mm). As a result, it can easily be integrated into the existing room layout and is easily accessible at all times. Immediately after starting up, CyberSonic^® begins emitting micro-fine water particles evenly throughout the room. Owing to their small size, the particles evaporate of their own accord and are fully absorbed into the air. The water needed is tapped directly from the water pipe. The integrated water treatment system – housed completely inside the humidifier cabinet, and comprising an upstream reverse osmosis unit and an ion exchanger – ensures the water is pure and free of lime and germs. This keeps the ultrasonic humidifier running reliably and hygienically, even with long maintenance intervals.