Micronics clamp-on flow meters help to control data-centre environment
One of the largest financial institutions in the UK is using 24 Micronics U3000B clamp-on flow meters in a new banking data centre in Leicestershire to measure the flow of a chilled-water/glycol mixture to control water-pump speed in the cooling system and achieve a controlled constant temperature throughout the data halls.
The two buildings are four storeys high and the size of four football pitches. They hold all the bank’s data, with one building duplicating the other in case of failure.
The flow meters are installed on a wide range of pipe sizes, including a 400 mm-diameter stainless-steel pipe with a 2 m wall thickness.
The temperature of the chilled water needs to be constantly adjusted to optimise the energy used. It also keeps the computers at a safe 14°C. Eight units are roof mounted to control the main chiller operations; the rest are floor mounted to control the main flows into the data halls.
These clamp-on ultra-sonic flow meters provide accurate measure of flow. The installed cost is considerably lower than similar in-line alternatives. In critical HVAC system such as data centres, they offer the maintenance benefit of not having to drain down the system.
