TEMPORARY COOLING HIRE SOLUTION FOR DATACENTRE IN OXFORDSHIRE

MAINTAINING STABLE AIRFLOW DURING CRITICAL CRAC REPLACEMENTS

A large datacentre facility in Oxfordshire required a controlled temporary cooling system during a planned programme of CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioning) unit replacements. With server performance dependent on highly stable temperatures, the site needed continuous 18°C airflow to protect critical hardware and maintain operational continuity.

Ideal Heat Solutions was appointed to design and deliver a temporary cooling package capable of maintaining these strict environmental requirements while allowing upgrade works to proceed safely.

OUR TEMPORARY COOLING RESPONSE: STEP BY STEP

We followed a structured engineering process to ensure reliable datacentre cooling throughout the project.

– SITE SURVEY & SPECIFICATION

Our engineers carried out a detailed survey to determine:

– Cooling demand across four active datacentre rooms
– Existing CRAC configuration and thermal load
– Duct routing to distribute conditioned air through secure areas
– Power requirements for chillers, AHUs and generators
– External layout constraints for equipment positioning

This enabled us to design a precise temporary cooling solution aligned with datacentre environmental standards.

– EQUIPMENT DELIVERY

We delivered a full temporary cooling package, including:

– 2 × 200kW Heat Pump Chillers
– 2 × 150kW Air Handling Units (AHUs)
– 1000L Buffer Tank
– 2 × 200kVA Generators (duty + standby)
– 2000L Fuel Tank
– 70m × 504mm Ducting with Y-Splits
– 20m × 2” Steel Braided Hose

All equipment was preconfigured off-site to support efficient installation.

– INSTALLATION & SETUP

The temporary system was installed externally, distributing conditioned air deep inside the datacentre.

Key steps included:

– Connecting heat pump chillers to the AHUs using steel braided hosework
– Creating a 25m ducting run, branching via Y-pieces into two internal zones
– Configuring AHUs to supply a consistent 18°C airflow
– Adding redundancy through a standby generator
– Commissioning the system while datacentre operations remained fully active

The solution delivered both cooling capacity and total environmental control.

– SYSTEM DESIGN & OPERATION

The cooling process operated as follows:

– Heat pump chillers circulated temperature-controlled chilled water to the AHUs
– Each AHU used this chilled water to generate stable 18°C airflow
– Conditioned air was distributed via long-distance ducting into multiple datacentre rooms
– The buffer tank ensured smooth temperature regulation and consistent flow

This setup maintained the exact conditions required for continuous server operation.

SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT DEPLOYED

– 2 × 200kW Heat Pump Chillers – Delivered precise temperature-controlled water to maintain the 18°C airflow required for stable datacentre cooling.
– 2 × 150kW AHUs – Provided powerful, consistent airflow to distribute cooled air evenly throughout the datacentre.
– 1000L Buffer Tank – Ensured smooth system operation by stabilising water flow and preventing temperature fluctuations.
– 70m × 504mm Ducting + 2 × Y-Pieces – Enabled efficient long-distance air delivery with controlled airflow splitting into multiple cooling zones.
– 20m × 2” Steel Braided Hose – Offered secure, high-pressure water transfer between chillers and AHUs for reliable cooling performance.
– 2 × 200kVA Generators – Supplied independent, uninterrupted power for the entire temporary cooling system.
– 2000L Fuel Tank – Provided extended runtime and reduced refuelling frequency to support continuous operation throughout the project.

CHALLENGES AND RESULTS

THE CHALLENGE

The temporary cooling solution needed to:

– Deliver continuous 18°C airflow during CRAC replacement
– Manage long duct runs with multiple directional changes
– Serve multiple active datacentre rooms simultaneously
– Meet strict environmental and operational compliance
– Operate with redundancy for full resilience

OUR SOLUTION

We engineered a dual-chiller, dual-AHU system supported by a buffer tank, multi-branch ducting and generator redundancy. This configuration maintained stable temperature and airflow while allowing CRAC works to proceed safely.

WHAT MADE THIS PROJECT UNIQUE

This project took place at a major Oxfordshire datacentre located within a nationally significant science and technology hub. The facility forms part of a global network of research, analysis and cybersecurity infrastructure, making uninterrupted uptime essential.

Key considerations included:

– Working in a high-security, access-controlled environment
– Maintaining strict environmental parameters across multiple rooms
– Ensuring uninterrupted operation of mission-critical digital systems
– Implementing ducting solutions suitable for long internal runs with multiple branches

These factors required an engineered approach and precise thermal performance throughout the project.

THE RESULT

The installation delivered exceptional performance:

– Zero downtime for any datacentre rooms
– Stable and controlled 18°C airflow throughout all works
– High-performance ducting distribution across long internal runs
– Full operational continuity for the facility
– Trane Connect remote monitoring ensured real-time performance oversight, instant optimisation and early fault detection for maximum system reliability.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

The FM provider reported that the client was extremely impressed with the performance of the temporary cooling system, noting its reliability, stability and seamless integration. The success of this project has already led to further opportunities for similar datacentre cooling works.

WHY IDEAL HEAT SOLUTIONS?

Ideal Heat Solutions is a trusted provider of temporary cooling systems for datacentres, biotech facilities and mission-critical environments, offering:

– Expertise in CRAC support and temporary datacentre cooling
– Modern fleet of chillers, AHUs, ducting, hoses and generators
– Engineers trained for high-security, compliance-led environments
– 24/7 nationwide support and monitoring
– Bespoke system design to protect sensitive technical infrastructure

CONCLUSION

Datacentres require strict environmental control to protect operational continuity. During CRAC unit replacements or plant upgrades, temporary cooling ensures servers, systems and research operations remain safe and stable.

By deploying dual 200kW chillers, AHUs, engineered ducting, buffer tank integration and generator redundancy, Ideal Heat Solutions maintained precise 18°C airflow throughout the project — delivering uninterrupted performance across all datacentre rooms.

FAQS

How does temporary cooling support datacentre CRAC replacements?
Temporary chillers and AHUs maintain stable airflow and temperature while CRAC units are removed or upgraded.

Can you supply cooling for multi-room datacentres?
Yes — we design ducting and AHU configurations to distribute conditioned air across multiple rooms.

What temperatures can temporary datacentre cooling achieve?
Systems can be configured for typical datacentre requirements, including 15–20°C airflow.

Do you offer generator-powered cooling systems?
Yes — we provide duty and backup generators for full operational resilience.

Where do you operate?
We supply temporary cooling for datacentres across Oxfordshire, the South East and nationwide.

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