(Well, to be honest: Spain did play better. Ok, back to business now, as the World Cup is over and we will have to wait four years)


Sometimes, one can come across a cooling concept which on the one hand seems too simple to be true, while on the other hand it is so simple it borders to elegance.

DatacenterWorks is reporting on the deployment of a data center that is based on a Dutch principle called DataCenterKoeling (translated: data center cooling). Apparently, it is patent pending, and its great advantage is that there is no need for a cooling machine. Just tap water and a smart layout of fans will do.

Here is a picture of an individual server.

Nothing special so far: fans that are regulated by the workload, cool air comes in on one end, hot air goes out on the other end.

What is really interesting, is the nexus of the concept: the ActiefKoelDak (translated: Active Cooling Roof).

The roof consists of two conduits through which water cooled air is blown. Water cooled, but only if it is warmer than 24 degrees Celsius outside. If not, no water is run through the cooling blocks. The cold is forced down into the cold aisles. The hot air is blown out on the back of the server, and forces itself outside. It is so simple and basic that it seems as something quite standard. Yet, judging from these thermo-sensitive pictures, it works quite nicely. Nice detail is that the roof is completely passive. Not a fan in sight.


A recent project is the implementation at SmartDC, as DatacenterWorks reports. SmartDC, located in Rotterdam, is scalable to about 3000 sq. meters.


(Right, now I would like to get a nice warm plate of paella with lots of fresh calamari)