Containment components include rack containment using rack-based chimneys, and aisle containment using end of row doors, aisle ceilings and overhead vertical wall systems. Chimneys affix to the hot air side of the rack, ducting hot air into a drop ceiling or return plenum that leads to the air conditioning system. Passive chimneys use the plenum’s negative pressure to pull the hot air out. Active chimneys with fans move hot air based on rack temperature or the difference in pressure inside and outside the rack.
End of row doors seal off the end of the aisle. Vendors offer end of row doors in a variety of practical configurations. The vendor should be able to tailor door selections to suit each data center’s specific spatial requirements.
Door configurations include swinging or sliding doors that are available as single or double doors. The data center may require an emergency break out feature for sliding doors to meet emergency evacuation safety standards. When a smoke or fire alarm sounds, staff members can break through the door via a break out bar that opens a separate door on a hinge. This will ensure that staff are not trapped in an emergency.
Vendors offer additional door options including auto-close, soft close and auto lockout capabilities. Auto-close enables the door to quickly re-establish an airtight seal. Soft closing doors use snubbers to slow auto-closing. This ensures that the doors won’t close on the staff or customers who are en¬tering or leaving the aisle. Auto lockout stabilizes doors in the open position allowing hands to be free to move data center equipment in and out of the aisle.
Glass doors or small windows are available for data centers seeking visibility into the aisle. Glass doors and windows maintain aisle visibility without forcing staff to enter the aisle.
Data centers can top off their aisles with precise ceiling types and options as the vendor brings them closer to total containment. The vendor can deliver a horizontal structure, which is a flat-aisle covering or roof. The overhead vertical wall approach constructs one wall along the top of a row of racks, a second vertical wall on the top of the opposing row of racks and one at each end of the aisle, creating a rectangular box that contains the air.
