Hot aisle containment doors from SCS FACO

Hot aisle containment doors from SCS FACO

SCS FACO offers customized hot aisle containment doors that functionally seal off the hot aisle, thereby supporting a stable separation between hot and cold air.

Our hot aisle containment doors are available in various opening types to accommodate individual operational processes and space constraints in the data center. Manually closing synchronous versions or electrically assisted solutions are possible, each in single-leaf or double-leaf configurations. This allows the door width to be dimensioned to suit aisle geometry, transport requirements, and access procedures.

When selecting materials for our hot aisle containment doors, we place the utmost importance on dimensional stability and suitability for everyday use in technical environments. SCS FACO hot aisle containment doors are manufactured from powder-coated steel and remain stable even in large dimensions. Stability is a crucial safety requirement, especially for wide passageways or frequently used access points. Sealing systems such as brush and profile strips are used to minimize leakage at the edges and improve airflow in the hot aisle. The floor guide is designed to eliminate tripping hazards. The seal to the floor is designed to be highly airtight, minimizing unwanted air paths along the floor.

The windows of our hot aisle containment doors are made of Exolon to ensure visibility and monitoring of the aisle. This allows the hot aisle to remain visible, supporting operational processes and safety requirements in the server room without requiring doors to be permanently open. Exolon is used as a heat-resistant material, ensuring a long service life in typical hot aisle temperature ranges and maintaining the functionality of our hot aisle containment doors even with consistently elevated exhaust air temperatures.

What are the advantages of our doors for hot aisle containment?

The advantages of doors for hot aisle containments are their space-saving design, improved server room security, and consistent support for the thermal separation of cold and hot air.

Our hot aisle containment doors ensure consistent thermal separation between cold supply air and warm exhaust air. Sealing systems such as brush strips reduce the recirculation of warm air. Recirculation occurs when hot exhaust air flows unintentionally into areas that are actually supplied with cool air. A tightly sealed hot aisle containment door ensures that the warm air does not escape from the hot aisle. The hot air is directed away via HAC chimney elements and does not return to the cold aisle. This stabilizes temperature conditions and improves the energy efficiency of cooling in the data center.

Sliding doors for hot aisle containment offer a practical advantage due to their space-saving design. Hinged doors are often an obstruction in data centers because of their swing radius, especially during transport, when moving roll containers, or in areas with high foot traffic in the IT area. Space-saving sliding doors reduce this problem because they do not require any additional space in the aisle. Mechanisms such as a mechanical or magnetic self-closing mechanism ensure that the door closes reliably after passage. An open door would compromise the containment effect. A self-closing mechanism also helps to maintain stable airflow, even with high foot traffic.

Our hot aisle containment doors ensure high light transmission and sufficient visibility. Transparent elements, such as safety glass, maintain an unobstructed view into the aisle. This facilitates rapid visual inspections, integrates seamlessly with existing lighting concepts, and contributes to safer operational processes.

For which data centers are our hot aisle containment doors suitable?

Hot aisle containment doors are suitable for all types of hot aisle data centers for reliable separation of hot and cold air areas.

Hot aisle data centers with AI and high-performance computing (HPC) environments generate a significant amount of waste heat continuously. Therefore, it is crucial that the warm air remains within the hot aisle and does not escape into the cooled area. A door solution that seals tightly yet is suitable for everyday use supports controlled airflow and helps prevent temperature spikes caused by air mixing.

In colocation data centers with a warm aisle layout, the clear separation of customer areas and controlled access processes are essential requirements. Individual enclosures for customer areas are the typical use case in colocation data centers. The appropriate door configuration (single or double leaf, manual or electric) supports operational reliability, ease of access, and facilitates clean air separation. For frequently changing requirements, a modular, scalable design offers significant advantages because enclosures and access points can be adapted or expanded.

Our hot aisle containment doors are suitable for data centers with free cooling. Warm exhaust air is routed to the chimney without mixing with cold air. This maximizes the number of hours per year in which cooling with outside air is possible, because the temperature and airflow conditions remain clearer and more efficiently utilized. A high-quality hot aisle containment door minimizes leakage and defines the hot aisle as a reliable exhaust air corridor.

Our hot aisle containment doors are suitable for retrofitting in existing data centers. Because our hot aisle containment doors are manufactured independently of the original supplier and adaptable to various rack configurations, they can be implemented in established hot aisle environments.