Description

Data center managers who are serious about maximizing their cooling efficiency know that sealing all gaps is critical to maximize the effectiveness of their aisle containment solution.  It is common practice to use blanking panels to fill unused rack spaces.  Magnetic air dam cabinet skirts and barriers to seal the gap under server cabinets are often overlooked. Data centers that incorporate hot and cold aisle containment have pressure differentials between the aisles. This pressure can cause the gap below server cabinets, which is often 2” or more, to become an air stream between hot and cold aisles. The resulting mix of air reduces the effectiveness of a containment solution.

The Cool Shield Magnetic Cabinet Skirts provide an easy fix for this issue.  The lightweight strips install in seconds and are scored to allow them to easily adjust to cover gaps from 1” to 3.5”. Place them at the floor level across either the front or back of the cabinets to block air mixing below the cabinets.  Also, depending on the containment design, it can be helpful to block airflow beneath the side panels at row ends.

Why Magnetic Air Dam Cabinet Skirts and Barriers Have a Huge ROI

Magnetic cabinet air dam skirts block hot exhaust air from coming under the cabinet to raise the temperature in the cold aisle.  Studies have shown that blocking the gap beneath the server cabinets can impact supply temperatures at the lower rack positions by 5 degrees or more.  Eliminating air mixing allows for more precise control of cooling unit set points.  Increasing set points is the primary way to improve cooling efficiency and reduce energy costs.  A small investment in magnetic cabinet skirts can result in huge cost savings on your utility bill.