Air filters for data centers

The failure of systems in a data centre can have a major impact for day-to-day activities. Air pollution can be one of the causes.

Fine dust and other air pollution is very dangerous for all the data that is processed in data centres. Dust particles can be hazardous to equipment and enter through different routes. First of all via the people who work or visit the data centres, but also via the ventilation systems.

The various dust particles can cause corrosion on electronic components. As a result various systems can break down and, in the worst case, also lead to data loss.

In order to keep all systems operational, it is important that the data centres are cooled. Because of the enormous size, the costs of air conditioning, for example, are very high. A good ventilation system with the right filters can also ensure lower energy consumption and a regulated temperature. Cooling in data centres is extremely important, because if a fire breaks out, all the data can be lost. Therefore, fire-retardant air filters can improve the fire resistance.

The supply filter in a data centre must be at least a PM2.5 50% filter. A data centre is an area with  temporary occupation. This is the outcome of a system developed by Eurovent. This model has been rolled out to make the choice for the right filter easier. Depending on the area, the filter must comply with certain properties.

There are five different SUP classes. A data centre falls into SUP class 3. Subsequently, the outdoor air quality is decisive. The worse the outdoor air quality is, the higher the minimum classification of the filter must be. The outdoor air quality can be measured using an air meter. This table shows the required classification per outdoor air quality category.