Chilled-water close control unit for datacentres!

Magister CW by CIAT is a vertical chilled-water close control unit specially designed to meet the requirements of data centres, computer rooms, switchboard rooms, electrical equipment rooms and other rooms with high thermal loads. Magister CW is 25% more energy efficient than previous versions and uses 20% less power than other models on the market, which amounts to savings of up to €5000 each year! Magister CW is available in five models with capacities ranging from 10 to 130 kW.

Such energy performance is made possible by Magister CW's highly optimised fan motor assemblies, which consist of centrifugal plug fans (for enhanced air handling efficiency) associated with EC motors (for optimum energy efficiency).

The unit uses CIAT's microRC2 controller to self-adjust its operation on both the water and the air circuits. The automatic controller adjusts the fan speed according to the thermal loads of the room and uses a 0-10V signal to control the valve and finely adjust the unit's operation to required levels. An optional enthalpic free cooling module can be added which allows fresh outdoor air to be drawn into computer rooms when their internal temperature and humidity levels reach a certain threshold.

Data centre applications require the very highest levels of reliability. The entire Magister CW range is built with 25 mm double-skin construction and features M0 fire insulation (Euroclasse A1). Optional redundancy functions can be installed to interconnect up to 10 units so that, in the event that one unit fails, the others will automatically take over. Thanks to the RS485 Modbus board, the smallest malfunctions (fan motor assembly, humidifier, abnormal variations in input power, etc.) are detected in real time and relayed as alarms to the supervision system.

It is designed to facilitate maintenance. All its compartments are accessed via hinged doors on the front panel, the fan and motor are directly coupled, and the filtration system is fitted on a mount for easier handling.

Furthermore, Magister CW is 20% smaller than previous models. In order to achieve the highest efficiency with chillers and operate longer in free cooling mode, the water and air temperature ranges in data centre applications are increasingly higher. The Magister CW fan is therefore more powerful and delivers higher air flows. As a result, it delivers more power for the same footprint.

This unit is part of CIAT's CIATRONIC System data centres offer. It combines chilled water production, free cooling and air diffusion. The speed variation of the EC motors, associated with the flexibility offered by water, provides a perfect solution for the changing requirements in data centres. CIAT's solutions constantly adapt to the needs of Tier 4 data centres, be they changes in their classification, changes in their thermal loads over time or needs for modularity.

Their CIATRONIC System includes its AQUACIAT POWER chillers, Opera dry coolers, the Cristopia thermal energy storage system, ITEX plate heat exchangers to isolate the secondary network, the solution for direct free cooling with the Airtech air handling unit, and Magister precision close control units.

Hydraulic network balancing!

Hymod is the market's first local hydraulic network balancing module that is designed to ensure variable flows in secondary circuits and thus optimise the energy efficiency of heating or cooling systems. Designed in particular for systems of up to 3,000 m2 in size, Hymod supplies comfort units with water at the right flow rates for each use. The unit improves the energy efficiency of ancillary equipment by as much as 40%.With the tightening of the EU's F-gas Regulation on fluorinated refrigerants, water-loop-based systems have once again become the natural solution for building heating and cooling needs. CIAT's Hysys® system is an advanced, comprehensive solution for the operation of water-based systems. Its balancing module for secondary networks optimises Hysys® even further.

When installed between a chiller or a heat pump and emitters (comfort units), the module isolates primary and secondary hydraulic networks. It meets regulatory requirements on network balancing, ensures the distribution of water to each emitter, and guarantees that heating and cooling systems are easy to operate, efficient and in compliance with requirements. It consists of a balancing valve on the primary network, a primary bypass and a variable flow (0-100%) accelerator pump that adjusts water flow rates to the needs of emitters fitted with power-efficient motors. Placed in zones, it meets flow rate requirements of up to a maximum of 6 m3/h (35 kW capacity).

Each module is calibrated and commissioned by CIAT's teams during the commissioning of entire heating or cooling systems, freeing fitters to do other tasks. Because it is installed locally in suspended ceilings in building zones, it frees up significant space in mechanical rooms.

On the primary network side, the isolator is fitted with a balancing valve that adjusts the nominal flow rates required in their zone. Such head-end balancing is required by Article 23 of France's 2012 thermal regulation. Water is supplied by the low-pressure pump installed in the thermodynamic machine.

On secondary networks, the Hymod isolator is fitted with an EC accelerator pump that adjusts water flow rates to the requirements of comfort units in real time and by independently managing the constant differential pressure. Comfort units must be fitted with self-balancing two-way valves. During system commissioning, these valves are very finely adjusted according to the desired nominal flow rate for each emitter. The pump of the module is then set to accommodate the sum of these flow rates.

Hymod is made of stainless steel. To prevent the risk of condensation, it features extra-thick Armaflex insulation and shells moulded to fit over the pump body and the balancing valve. Further protection is provided by an additional drip tray fastened to the piping. When used with CIAT's V30/V300 controllers, there is an optional changeover box for sending operating mode information to comfort units over a pilot line.