Data centers are essential infrastructure in today’s world. They house, process, and analyze immense volumes of data; data centers are key to the digital transformation occurring worldwide.
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With data use escalating and the drive for efficient energy use and sustainability ever increasing, data center power demand is rising consistently - creating an urgent need for conventional cooling strategies to be reevaluated.
The global drive to lower carbon emissions, along with updated environmental regulations such as the Kigali Amendment, the U.S. AIM Act, and the EU F-Gas Regulation, is compelling the HVAC industry to phase out refrigerants with high global warming potentials (GWPs) and adopt refrigerants with considerably reduced climate impacts.
Distinguished by their low GWP, A2L refrigerants offer a compelling alternative, delivering on performance while supporting sustainability goals. However, they are classified as mildly flammable, requiring additional mitigation measures.
The redevelopment of data center cooling units to support A2L refrigerants requires novel components for detecting leaks of these refrigerant gases and ensuring overall system safety in air cooling systems, which commonly depend on computer room air conditioning (CRAC) or computer room air handling (CRAH) units to circulate cooled air for heat removal from server racks. Without devices to track refrigerant depletion, these systems face peril.
The Solution
Safety is central to adapting A2L refrigerants to meet environmental and regulatory requirements. A2Ls offer low GWP and effective cooling capabilities, but they are mildly flammable.
Integrating these refrigerants into critical operational environments requires early, accurate leak detection to ensure safety, uptime, and regulatory compliance.
Sensata’s Resonix™ MGD leak detection sensor represents an optimal solution, providing swift response and activation times to identify potential complications. Engineered specifically for A2L refrigerants, the sensor enables real-time, continuous monitoring at detection levels well below the Lower Flammability Limit (LFL).
With this early alerting functionality, data center operators can identify and address refrigerant leaks before they pose operational hazards or compromise efficiency. These sensors comply with rigorous international safety standards, confirming their suitability for use in critical data center infrastructure.
Featuring both relay outputs and Modbus interfaces, sensors can be seamlessly integrated into data center platforms for real-time leak detection, alert activation, and automated system shutdowns when required. These sensors are ideally suited for installation in confined spaces used for equipment storage, such as beneath elevated floors or near CRAC units or refrigerant lines.
The incorporation of gas leak detection sensors into A2L air-cooling systems not only helps data centers meet regulatory mandates but also safeguards operational continuity, personnel safety, and prolonged infrastructure reliability. As refrigerants with low GWP become the prevailing industry standard, technologies such as Resonix™ will be instrumental in enabling the next generation of sustainable data center cooling.
This information has been sourced, reviewed, and adapted from materials provided by Sensata Technologies, Inc.
For more information on this source, please visit Sensata Technologies, Inc.