Australia needs a shift in mindset..
This process has two main components.Firstly, modelling the data hall in 3D with the restart times of all equipment inputted into the model.
And secondly, constructing a 'Flow Network' to represent the chilled water system, which interfaces with the 3D model to provide mutual feedback during the simulation.Through this comprehensive analysis, we can evaluate the performance of both the data hall and chilled water system at every stage of the outage and subsequent restart, thereby validating the resilience of the design and providing a level of assurance..This analysis allows for the optimisation of design elements, such as UPS, to ensure inclusion only where necessary, leading to significant cost savings and a reduction in embodied carbon.
Accurate determination of buffer vessel sizing through this analysis helps prevent oversizing, thereby saving costs and plant space, and minimising the need for structural reinforcement..The optimisation of the chilled water system design ensures even distribution throughout the data hall.
This optimisation process is crucial, as it prevents the tendency to oversize equipment or specify unnecessary components to meet resilience requirements, providing assurance that the building will meet requirements and allowing for greater potential for economic and carbon cost savings..
As the demand for data centre capacity continues to grow and challenges in electrical supply capacity become more pronounced alongside regulatory pressures, there is an increasing need for data centre designs to be optimised..3D modules also occupy large amounts of factory floor space and therefore absorb a high proportion of factory overheads..
If these additional modular construction costs can be offset by large improvements in construction site efficiency, for example by relocating wet trades or complex specialist trades away from the site, a 3D module might make sense.But, with modular construction, it’s often the case that prefabricating comparatively simple parts of a building as 3D modules adds cost and complexity, especially if the required trades need to be present on-site anyway..
The problems found in modular construction are only compounded by inefficient factory working.The cost of any prefabricated component (indeed, any component of any building) can be divided into materials and labour.