# Presentation: 716301

## Slide 1

## Data Center Research Roadmap 

- 	**This includes strategies that can be implemented today.**

**Data Center Research Roadmap**** **

## Data Center research activities

- Benchmarking and 22 data center case studies
- Best practices identified
- Self-benchmarking protocol
- Power supply efficiency study
- UPS systems efficiency study
- Standby generation losses
- Performance metrics – Computation/watt

## LBNL data center demonstration projects

- “Air management”
- Outside air economizer
- Contamination concerns
- Humidity control concerns
- DC powering
- Facility level
- Rack level

## LBNL data center Federal projects

- Case studies
- Technical assistance
- Emerging technology

- Investigating use of infrared thermography as a visualization tool

## Benchmarking energy end use

## IT equipment load density

## Overall power use in Data Centers

- Courtesy of Michael Patterson, Intel Corporation

## Performance varies

- The relative percentages of the energy actually doing computing varies considerably.

## Percentage of power delivered to IT equipment

- Average 0.49

## Benchmark results helped to find best practices

- 	The ratio of IT equipment power to the total is an indicator of relative overall efficiency.  Examination of individual systems and components in the centers that performed well helped to identify best practices.
- 	Lets talk about a few....

## Best practices topics identified through benchmarking

## A word about appropriate environmental conditions...

- ASHRAE published thermal guidelines
- Majority of IT suppliers participated
- Guidelines allow most centers to relax setpoints over standard practice
- Recommended and allowable ranges of temperature and humidity are provided – at the inlet to the IT equipment
- High temperatures in the “hot aisles” and return to air conditioners is desirable.

## Temperature guidelines – at the inlet to IT equipment

- ASHRAE Allowable Maximum

- ASHRAE Allowable Minimum

- ASHRAE Recommended Maximum

- ASHRAE Recommended Minimum

## Humidity guidelines – at the inlet to IT equipment

- ASHRAE Allowable Maximum

- ASHRAE Allowable Minimum

- ASHRAE Recommended Maximum

- ASHRAE Recommended Minimum

## Best scenario – isolate cold and hot

- 70-75oF

- 95-100oF

## Another isolation scheme

## Fan energy savings – 75%

**If mixing of cold supply air with hot return air can be eliminated-**
**fan speed can be reduced**

## Better temperature control can allow raising the temperature in the entire data center

- ASHRAE Recommended Range

- Ranges during demonstration

## Best practices – free cooling with air economizers

## Encouraging outside air economizers

- Issue:
- Many are reluctant to use air economizers
- Outdoor pollutants and humidity control considered equipment risk
- Goal:
- Encourage use of outside air economizers where climate is appropriate
- Strategy:
- Address concerns:  contamination/humidity control
- Quantify energy savings benefits

## Project objectives

- Identify potential failure mechanisms
- Measure contamination levels inside and outside of data centers
- Observe humidity control
- Evaluate economizer effect on cumulative particulate exposure
- Compare particle concentrations to guidelines

## Measurements inside the centers

**Measurements inside the centers**

**IBM Standard**

**EPA Annual Health Standard**

**EPA 24-Hour Health Standard**

***and***** ASHRAE Standard**

## Outdoor measurements

**Outdoor measurements**

**IBM Standard**

**EPA Annual Health Standard**

**EPA 24-Hour Health Standard**

***and***** ASHRAE Standard**

## Indoor measurements (note scale)

**Indoor measurements ****(note scale)**

## Data center w/economizer

**Data center w/economizer**

## Humidity measurements

**Humidity measurements**

**ASHRAE Recommended Upper Limit**

**ASHRAE Recommended Lower Limit**

**ASHRAE Allowable Lower Limit**

**ASHRAE Allowable Upper Limit**

## Findings

- Water soluble salts in combination with high humidity can cause current leakage
- Static electricity (caused by humans) can occur with very low humidity
- Particle concentration typically is an order of magnitude lower than new ASHRAE limits (without economizer)
- Filtration and humidity control on make-up air can provide environments similar to those in closed data centers

## Best practices – Power conversion

## Data Center power conversions

**Data Center power conversions**

- AC voltage conversions

## Research illustrated large losses in power conversion

***Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)***

***Power Supplies in IT equipment***

## DC powering data centers 

- Goal:
- 	Show that a DC system could be assembled with commercially available components and measure actual energy savings – a proof of concept demonstration.

## Included in the demonstration

- Side-by-side comparison of traditional AC system with new DC system
-  Facility level distribution
-  Rack level distribution
- Power measurements at conversion points
- Servers modified to accept
- 	380 V. DC
- Artificial loads to more fully simulate data center

## Typical AC distribution today

- 480 Volt AC

- 380 V DC after first stage conversion

## Facility-level DC distribution

- 380V.DC

- 480 Volt AC

- 380 V DC is delivered directly into the server to the same point as in an AC powered server. This eliminates the DC-AC conversion at the UPS and the AC-DC conversion in the server.  Also, less equipment is needed.

## Rack-level DC distribution

- 480 Volt AC

##  AC system loss compared to DC

- 7-7.3% measured improvement

- 2-5% measured improvement

**Rotary UPS**

## Energy savings for a typical data center

- 20% or more **facility** level energy savings because:
- Redundant UPS and server power supplies operate at reduced efficiency
- Cooling loads would be reduced.
- The demonstration comparisons were against “best in class” systems which performed better than typical systems we benchmarked.
- Further optimization of conversion devices/voltages is possible

## Demonstration set-up – 

**Demonstration set-up – **
**see website for more detail**

## DC power – next steps

- DC power pilot installation(s)
- Standardize distribution voltage
- Standardize DC connector and power strips
- Server manufacturers develop power supply specification
- Power supply manufacturers develop prototype
- UL and communications certification

## Design and Training Resources 

- Design guidelines available through PG&E’s Energy Design Resources website

**Design and Training Resources**

- A web-based training resource available on LBL’s website

## 

website: http://hightech.lbl.gov/datacenters/

**website: http://hightech.lbl.gov/datacenters/**

## 

Discussion/Questions??

**Discussion/Questions??**