DataLine

Intro

When combined, DataLine's Tier III data centers in the eastern and northern sectors of Moscow have an installed output of over 30 MW. The latest DataLine NORD 4 extension, measuring some 12,000 m², is the first project in Russia to use STULZ's highly efficient CyberCool 2 chillers. Free Cooling coils with a generous surface area allow the highly efficient air conditioning system to run in Free Cooling mode or flexible Mixed mode for about 80 % of annual runtime, thus saving up to 50 % on the energy costs of air conditioning compared with conventional solutions.

The Customer

DataLine is part of the Inline Technologies Group holding company and is the leading Russian supplier of colocation, IT outsourcing and cloud services. This specialist for commercial data center services operates seven state-of-the-art data centers in Moscow. Sites 1 to 3 are to the east (Boroyava St.) and there are four more data centers to the north (Korovinskoye St.) of the Russian capital.

The Project

Data center NORD 4 is the latest expansion of the DataLine group of data centers and with a power consumption of over 18 MW, it is currently one of the largest data centers in the Russian IT market. In a white space area measuring 4,250 m², DataLine NORD 4 provides space for around 2,000 server racks. The first construction phase started in August 2013. Design, infrastructure and operations management meet the requirements of the Tier III standard (Uptime Institute) and are currently going through the final certification process.

Implementation

DataLine NORD 4 – installation of new CyberCool 2 chillers

DataLine was convinced of the capacity of CyberCool 2 chillers during a load test at the STULZ test center. Distributor and partner for STULZ solutions in Russia, I-CLIMATE, then began initial work on the project in collaboration with lead contractor AMD TECHNOLOGII. The initial installation work at the NORD 4 data center then followed in 2014.

In total, STULZ supplied 64 CyberAir 3 chilled water closed-circuit air conditioning units with circulating air for raised-floor air conditioning and seven CyberCool 2 chillers with a total refrigeration output of 6,500 kW. In early 2015, I-CLIMATE began commissioning 32 indoor air conditioning units and four chillers designed with N+1 redundancy – activation of the second power stage is currently in preparation.

DataLine OST 1 – chillers replaced during ongoing operation

In parallel with the new construction phase at DataLine NORD 4, the air conditioning technology of the OST 1 data center was also updated to the state of the art. The process replaced two existing chillers with highly efficient STULZ CyberCool 2 chillers. The replacement took place during ongoing operation of the data center, without any load shedding. This was made possible by detailed preparation and excellent planning by I-Climate. To achieve this, the expert engineers from STULZ's official partner prepared an individual specification for the new chillers to restrict installation time to an absolute minimum.

It was possible to re-start the new data center air conditioning system within just 24 hours of dismantling the old one – thanks among other things to the unique integration concept of the CyberCool 2 chillers.

The Result

With their combination of Free Cooling and mechanical generation of cold in flexible Mixed mode, the CyberCool 2 chillers from STULZ make a significant contribution to the high level of efficiency of DataLine NORD 4. The combination of multi-functional operation and generously dimensioned Free Cooling coils has allowed compressor running time to be cut significantly compared with conventional solutions.

Today, the CyberCool 2 chillers operate in Free Cooling mode or in flexible Mixed mode for around 80 % of the year. A special high-temperature return cooling system based on the STULZ AHF series was also developed for DataLine in order to keep energy losses in the refrigerant circuit to a minimum. Furthermore, additional diffusers reduce the power consumption of the fans and ensure that the air conditioning solution in this urban district operates at a low noise level.