Environmental conditioning

Emerson Network Power, a company which specialises in the network infrastructure industry, has been chosen as a partner in the creation of the biggest DHL Data Switching Centre in Europe, based in Prague. Liebert Power Quality Solutions and Liebert HIROSS High Performance Air Conditioning (HPAC) solutions will guarantee the maximum degree of power protection and environmental control of the new Data Switching Centre that will be operative in April 2004. Emerson offers solutions covering both precision air conditioning and power quality. The company claims that this is the biggest system of its kind ever realised in Europe incorporating 63 Himod room-cooling units, six Matrix air-cooled chillers (four of which have an integrated free-cooling function), 12 Hipulse UPS 600kVA units and a Main Static Switch of 2000kVA, batteries and a Battery Circuit Breaker cabinet.

A cool challenge DHL requirements for the air conditioning system are quite challenging in stipulating there should be almost no vibrations transferred to the building, a free-cooling technology that does not have any glycol residues and top levels of reliability. To meet these requirements, all 63 Himod room-cooling units are equipped with special stainless steel casings and are pre-arranged for double power supply. Of these, 48 have twin hydraulic circuits. All six Matrix chiller units are "Quiet" versions and the already very low sound emissions specification is improved by special no-vibration mounts that further reduce all the vibrations generated by the compressors' chillers. Four of these units adopt the "no glycol" option, using an additional plate heat exchanger to guarantee pure water to end users. Besides this DHL application, Liebert HIROSS HPAC systems protect and control the environment of computer rooms, telecoms facilities, data centres and technical environments in general, aiming to ensure the highest levels of efficiency, acoustics and compactness. On the power quality side, in order to ensure complete protection and reliability of the technological infrastructure of the switching centre, Emerson Network Power will supply a Liebert solution for a total 7.2mW capacity. The project includes four systems, each with three Hipulse 600kVA modules, a 2000kVA Main Static Switch and Maintenance Bypass Cabinet. The power is distributed through Static Transfer Switch (STS) units or to dual input load. To synchronise the four systems, regardless of their power source (generators, batteries etc.), the biggest Load Bus Synchronisation (LBS) system in Europe will be supplied. "We are very proud that such a major and leading global player like DHL has decided to rely on our experience and expertise. The DHL choice confirms the winning strategy of Emerson as system supplier for mission critical supplies solutions which require the maximum reliability with a complete range of products," says Ian Bitterlin, UK managing director of Emerson Network Power. Many of the technologically advanced IT systems and processes that are widely used in data management, telecommunications, general services and manufacturing are installations of a mission critical nature. The function of the installation will depend upon the nature of the business, but whatever the function, business continuity will rest on the reliability of the installation. Typical examples would be laboratories, quality control and test facilities in a number of fields including those affiliated to processes in textile, tobacco, paper, precision mechanical and pharmaceutical industries.

Providing essential control Precise environmental control is extremely important in the pharmaceutical industry where a sterile controlled environment is essential for safe and consistent production. Conditions need to be regularly audited, as any drop in air-conditioning pressure in a drug production area will result in the destruction of every drug made since the last audit. The safety of staff is no less important, requiring production in closed systems to prevent cross-contamination. Air-conditioning systems for these production facilities are designed to maintain closely controlled temperature, humidity, air pressure, direction of flow and cleanliness of the air. Laboratory environments serving the production are separate, usually in another building, and must be of the highest standard in terms of air cleanliness – especially dust free – and maintenance operations must not compromise products. These specifications minimise contamination and ensure a high degree of product safety while taking account of the comfort of personnel working in protective clothing as well as their safety and health. These are vital prerequisites for successful production and essential parameters of good manufacturing practice for this industry.

Meeting the needs Emerson's conditioning systems protect and control the environment of many mission critical technological and sensitive specialist installations. In all cases, their optimum operation depends, to a large extent, on precision controlled temperature and humidity conditions. Their ranges of Himod Air Conditioning Units and Matrix Chillers are designed to meet tight specifications in terms of high performance, low noise levels, energy efficiency and small footprint. The Constant version of the Himod S is the solution for systems requiring extremely precise control of temperature and humidity for the most demanding applications and stringent standards. Himod S Constant, with ducted air delivery, allows temperature and humidity tolerances of +0.3°C and +2% Relative Humidity. This important result is achieved through an accurate and continuous variation of both cooling capacity and steam production. Himod units may be "full function" with precise temperature and humidity control or high reliability cooling only. Humidification is provided by the well-proven electrode boiler system with variable steam output. The design provides automatic adjustment to the water quality, determined by its conductivity, and minimises build-up of salts, thereby extending its life and reducing the cost of maintenance. Specialised variable speed backward-curved plug-in fans greatly reduce energy usage, particularly in ducted applications, and reduce noise levels. Optional electronic commutation fans can reduce energy consumption levels by as much as 35%. They allow closer control conditions in precision air conditioning in terms of constant air volume, constant external static pressure, optimised input current and cooling capacity regulation, all important factors in the design requirement for pharmaceutical processing facilities.

Protecting the environment Options include "dual fluid" systems in which the module operates from the central chilled water supply, but in the event of any interruption to the supply (for maintenance or in the event of chiller failure), it automatically switches over to the direct expansion cooling system, a benefit where loss of the controlled environment would jeopardise the process being protected. Himod units, like Matrix chillers, have a small footprint giving a very high output to space ratio and featuring up to 55mm2 coil heat exchanger surface area per watt of cooling capacity. The component layout optimises the entire coil's surface area in the heat exchanging process. Greater efficiency can be achieved by incorporating the optional integrated Freecooling module.