Retrofit modular cold aisle/hot aisle system fits non-uniform height bayed racks

The benefits of reduced energy consumption and improved performance by adding cold aisles to rows of data centre servers are well know, but if the cabinets in the row are, as is often the case, of different heights, retrofit implementation has previously been difficult, requiring custom components. Schroff UK, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of datacoms infrastructure hardware, has developed a simple low cost modular system of standard components that solves the problem in an effective and elegant manner.



To create a cold aisle, extrusions are fitted across the front of the tops of the tallest cabinets down the length of the aisle. They are secured to the normal screws holding the top of the rack to its frame using an infinitely adjustable bracket. Infill pieces are added to lower cabinets to prevent side leakage and the laminated glass that forms the roof of the cold aisle fits between the extrusions. At each end, a choice of manual sliding doors, manual swing doors or automatic sliding doors can be fitted. All doors are assembled to the additional extrusions, so no modification to any cabinet is required. The sliding doors can be upgraded with automatic movement detection sensors, digital keypad locks, card readers and remote control operation, the choice depending on the individual requirements of the installation.



The system can also be used to create hot aisles; in this case, the central roof panels are omitted and blanking plates run from the tops of the racks to the ceiling of the data centre, funnelling the hot air directly into the CRAC inlets.