A data center chiller is a cooling system used to remove the heat generated by computer hardware and storage devices, and transfers that heat to another place where it can be used for some other process. Chillers are used in the data centers heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Large scale HVAC chillers are used to provide accurate and reliable cooling. These chillers work around the clock to keep ambient temperatures optimized for data center operation. Because of the considerable heat generated by so many servers operating in such close proximity to one another, accurate and reliable temperature and humidity control is critical. If there is a failure, building temperatures would rise quickly and possibly ruin equipment and lose data.
A main component of the cooling system is the chilled water 3-way control valve used to throttle the chilled water to the building’s heat exchangers. It is essential that these control valves control accurately and perform reliably. Also, and in the event of a power failure, they must be programmable to move to a predetermined valve position.
I many data center HVAC applications,
electric actuators are the preferred means to actuate the control valves. Their reliability, tightness of control, and failure-mode programmability are key reasons why chiller OEMs and data center building engineers choose electric actuators.