Chimneys are a critical part of building a resilient data centre.They allow the back- up generators to function properly in the event of a mains outage, keeping servers powered and important digital services available to the millions of users seeking to access them.
But flues are not just important to the building owner or operator; they also have a direct impact on the construction of new data halls.There are hundreds of contractors involved in a typical project, and each will require certain phases to complete before they can begin work on site. Leaving flues to the last moment – as some do – significantly raises the chance of errors just as the building is nearing completion.This will not only delay sign off and payment but will also damage the developer’s standing in a market where work is often awarded on recommendation. This oversight is the ‘chimney blind spot’.
Flues should be considered central to any robust uptime strategy and treated as an important step in guaranteeing availability more than 99% of the time. Data centre operators, for example, can only achieve Tier IV – the highest classification from the Uptime Institute – if a facility demonstrates a sufficient degree of ‘fault tolerance’. This means the effects of a power cut, equipment failure or interruption to the distribution path have to be managed long before any IT infrastructure is taken offline or, worse still, damaged.
It’s not difficult to see where chimneys fit in with the idea of fault tolerance.They will expel the back-up generator’s fumes and ensure any heat created is directed upwards, in turn lowering the risk of unexpected failure when on-site power is required. In this sense, they are part of the first line of defence when the mains are cut.
75 years’ experience in flue design and manufacturing
Selling into both commercial and domestic markets
Successful installations in key data centre locations across Europe
Notable customers include: Equinix, Wellcome Trust, Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, Zurich Data Centre
Despite this link, flues are often treated as an afterthought during the design and construction phase of a new data centre. Some see them as a specialism – which often leads to delayed installation or even a total refit later on – while others choose to keep costs low by opting for the cheapest product. This is a mistake because a facility will only be as resilient as its weakest point, regardless of whether a component is used every day or only when an emergency hits. Operators ultimately need to know their reserve system is going to work when it’s needed most.
Using the insights of Schiedel’s team of experts, this paper seeks to remedy industry’s chimney blind spot by promoting a ‘flue first’ mindset. It looks at the different industry factors that now make correct specification more important than before, the key points and timings for contractors and architects to consider, and a clearer understanding of what a successful installation looks like.
In doing so, Schiedel can better support those involved with data centre development during the most critical stages of a build. Setting out the argument in this way will also help to standardise the use of flues in data centres – especially important given the sector’s continued growth.
An interesting project was for Equinix, who provide high secure data centres throughout the world.
The Wellcome Genome Campus homes some of the world’s advanced organisations in the field of genomics and computational biology.
Any commercial steel chimney or flueing system will always suffer from some sort of corrosion over time. The regular use of venting systems for heat and the scale of the developments means that maintenance needs to be regular.
