Nanotechnology insulation coating keeps a Government Data Center cooler

Heat can be a huge danger for data centers and the computer servers they house. Typically data centers are kept well-air conditioned to ensure the servers do not overheat which can cause damage and data loss. However, when summer temperatures rise, it becomes more difficult to keep the servers at optimum temperatures. Read how the Mexican government used nanotechnology to solve a crucial issue they were having with server shutdown.

Thursday, 20th June 2013 Posted 10 years ago in by Phil Alsop

Mexico's Social Security and Health Administration (IMSS) had an issue with the data center in Monterrey, Mexico that holds their patient medical records. This location houses the servers which maintain electronic health records that make up the information interchange between clinics and hospitals.

Although the data center is air conditioned, the heat coming through the roof during the summer caused the inside temperature to reach a critical point, which caused automatic server shut down to avoid heat damage.

Nansulate® Crystal insulating coating, a patented, award winning clear coat technology, was used on the roof of the Cenati Data Center, applied at a 3-coat coverage. After application of Nansulate® effectively reduced the data center temperature to a safe level for the servers. The coating insulated the roof from excess heat transfer and stopped the server shut down due to high temperatures.

In a year over year comparison of their hottest month of the year, the coatings were shown to reduce the internal temperature of the data center by 27 percent (as measured in Celsius) from an average of 33.7 °C (92.7 °F) to 24.5 °C (76.1 °F).