IT DataCenter Equipment Row Separation

It depends.....this might help....↓

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fp7ebe%2Fp7ebegeneralguidelines.htm

Usually 1200mm (or two (2) tiles) to allow installation and removal of equipment and is convienient because you don't have to cut tiles (which reduces the floor loading).

Never less than 900mm to remain compliant with BCA (in Australia) for fire egress paths.

Beyond that, I think Cuba Pete covers all the essentials.

Regards,
Sapper

Ah...life safety code...good call.

When we used to do this work, we had a full time Engineer(s) that did the cooling studies for each different installation. There are so many variables that there is no one "rule" to follow. Just the number of cables running under the floor have a great effect on the air flow, if it's being directed through there. The placement of equipment in the racks has yet another effect...many many details go into obtaining the final answer. In some cases the row separation was "fixed", in that it could only be installed in a certain way. In those cases, the Engineers had to work the problem back from placement, to determine the needed air flow and max cooling requirements, etc. It's not an easy problem to solve and can get into fluid dynamics pretty quickly!

I'm the resident engineer for our facility...but I have some funny stories along these lines:

About a month ago when a new data center was nearing completion with all cabinets in place, in-row coolers humming satisfactorily, chill water lines finally leak free, etc., a contractor and the project manager start to put up the hot aisle curtain. It soon becomes apparent that the humidity control equipment is on the wrong side of the curtain. In fact, the unit should have been on the opposite wall of the room altogether.

In the next room over, where computer operations take place, it was noted on several occasions that when the new flat panels (KVM virtual terminals) and and the 8-man install team was in the room (including the project engineer!) that it was quite warm. Now, the tonnage they installed was enough for a meat locker and it just didn't seem right. I chided them about the heat, which they pawned off as "normal" yada, yada, yada.

It turns out that the chill water valve on the air handler had never had the mfrs. seal even removed, but the system had been pressure tested and "validated"...twice. Our in-house AC/R tech found this, clipped the tie-wrap and twisted the valve and voila! Cold air...miracles never cease.

Side note: when their contractor initially pressure tested the system with air, he blew out about 30 pressure gauges back up the line on our side of the facility, and put nice amounts of cavitational authority all through the loop...nice.