SWEX_Swep Exchange 2022

HASL –

heat from servers or indeed other machines or industrial processes, can be sourced for various heating applications. For example, data centre excess heat obtained from cooling can be recovered using our SWEP BPHE and supplied directly to a district energy network. As waste heat is an unwanted by-product from another application it therefore has a very low carbon footprint. Given the expansion of data centres across Europe, there is considerable potential for this type of heat recycling, though there is still some way to go to balance the potential costs with the likely environmental benefit. The rise of the data centre is likely to continue for some years to come. While much of the heat they produce is currently wasted, the applications discussed can play a key role in the future provision of affordable, sustainable and low carbon heat and in turn helping to decarbonize the planet. n

systems and consequently, the working life of installed refrigeration systems can be significantly extended. The Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD, the temperature approach between the cold side and the warm side), can be as low as 1K. Even with a larger heat transfer area of the heat exchanger it can still work, but if the ambient goes lower than that, the chiller will take over. A further cooling technology, particularly for dealing with sudden increases in temperature, is an ice storage cooling system. Two of the most common applications of mechanical cooling are absorption cooling, working on the principle of vapor absorption, and chillers, which provide a continuous flow of coolant to the cold side of a process water system at a desired temperature of about 20°C. A chiller uses a vapor compression mechanical refrigeration system that connects to the process water system through an plate heat exchanger, better known as an evaporator. Looking ahead, liquid cooling of servers is the most energy-efficient way to drive the data centre industry forward. This allows optimum energy use in the technology suite, so that more power drives the applications on the servers, rather than the cooling systems. Smaller ‘edge’ data centre facilities (2MW or less in power capacity) that cache content locally in order to offload processing of data and services from central cloud servers, particularly benefit from liquid cooling technology over air cooling techniques. How can excess heat from data centres be utilised and not just wasted? Surplus heat, for example

HASL, one of SWEP’s newest distributors, this year celebrates forty years in business. The company, based in West Lothian, Scotland, was founded by Ted Pringle in 1982. Ted was a heating engineer, college lecturer and a referee in Scottish professional football. His son Gordon Pringle joined the business in 1988 and is now its Managing Director. ordon explains: “Heating Appliances and Spares Ltd, or G HASL as we’re now known, started as specialist product distributors in Heating and Ventilation equipment. Over the years we’ve extended our portfolio to supply high quality products to many areas across the building services sector, working closely with architects, builders, consultants, contractors and end clients.” HASL’s involvement with SWEP began during lockdown in July 2020. Gordon was presenting on water quality and corrosion monitoring in a training webinar hosted by BESA (the UK’s leading building services trade association, of which HASL is an affiliate member). SWEP’s Adam

18 SWEP EXCHANGE