May 2007

IBM Unveils Plan to Combat Data Center Energy Crisis; Allocates $1 Billion to Advance "Green" Technology and Services

IBM recently announced it is redirecting $1 billion per year across its businesses, mobilizing the company’s resources to increase the level of energy efficiency in IT. The plan includes new products and services for IBM and its clients to sharply reduce data center energy consumption. The change is expected to transform the world’s business and public technology infrastructures into "green" data centers.

For an average 25,000-square-foot data center, clients should be able to achieve 42 percent energy savings. Based on the energy mix in the US, this savings equates to 7,439 tons of carbon emissions saved per year.  

IBM’s initiative, “Project Big Green,” targets corporate data centers where energy constraints and costs can limit their ability to grow. The initiative includes a new global green team of more than 850 energy efficiency architects from across IBM. 

“The data center energy crisis is inhibiting our clients’ business growth as they seek to access computing power,” said Mike Daniels, senior vice president, IBM Global Technology Services. “Many data centers have now reached full capacity, limiting a firm’s ability to grow and make necessary capital investments. Today we are providing clients the IBM action plan to make their data centers fully utilized and energy efficient.” 

Compared to doubling the size of its data centers by building out new space, IBM officials expect this will help save more than 5 billion kilowatt hours of energy per year.

Details of “Project Big Green” Five-Step Program:

• Diagnose by evaluating existing facilities with energy assessment, virtual 3-D power management and thermal analytics.
• Build, plan or update to an energy efficient data center.
• Virtualize IT infrastructures and special purpose processors.
• Manage by seizing control with power management software.
• Cool by exploiting liquid cooling solutions inside and out of the data center.

“Just as IBM helped organizations grapple with new innovations around the Internet and Linux, we will again assist clients navigate this new era of energy efficient computing,” said Bill Zeitler, senior vice president, IBM Systems and Technology Group. “Relief from the energy crisis can’t be achieved through incremental improvements.  Bold ideas and actionable plans are needed to deal with this issue.”

Cooling System Boosts Energy Efficiency
IBM recently announced a patented “stored cooling” solution that dramatically increases the efficiency of the largest single use of power in the data center, the end-to-end cooling system. The IBM Data Center Stored Cooling Solution service product, implemented at an IBM data center in Quebec, achieved 45 percent savings and has already been named the “best new energy product” by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

IBM’s patented Rear Door Heat eXchanger “cooling doors” are now available across most IBM Systems offerings. While requiring no additional fans or electricity, they reduce server heat output in data centers up to 60 percent by utilizing chilled water to dissipate heat generated by computer systems. IBM also plans to introduce a new set of liquid cooling technologies later in 2007.

In an AdvancedTCA platform where the shelf and blades may be from different vendors, interoperability is assured by strict adherence to design requirements. The thermal test tools will provide vendors with a systematic way to measure airflow impedance of a blade and airflow distribution across slots in an AdvancedTCA shelf.

“Thermal interoperability was one of the key issues that we set out to solve when CP-TA launched last year,” said Shlomo Pri-Tal, CP-TA chairman. “Both the Chassis Scan and Blade Profiler meet the requirements for thermal interoperability testing as outlined in our Interoperability Compliance Document (ICD) and Test Procedure Manual (TPM).”

The Chassis Scan system is designed to characterize airflow through an AdvancedTCA shelf, as specified by the ICD and TPM. The Blade Profiler system measures airflow impedance of an AdvancedTCA Front board, assuring that it complies with the flow impedance requirements of the ICD.

“Understanding airflow patterns is critical for the reliable operation of AdvancedTCA shelves and blades,” said Eric Birch, executive vice president, DegreeC. “We have developed test tools that will enable vendors to understand the airflow pattern in their AdvancedTCA products and design interoperable products.”

CP-TA released the ICD 1.0 and TPM 1.0 in February 2007. The ICD defines a set of requirements to build interoperable communications platforms. The TPM defines test procedures to test compliance to those requirements. This first release defines interoperability test requirements and procedures for PICMG’s AdvancedTCA specification, aligned to the SCOPE Alliance AdvancedTCA profile. CP-TA members are currently working on defining thermal, manageability and data transport interoperability for PICMG’s AMC specification.

The new program joins 25 other ARI-administered certification programs in utilizing the globally-recognized and trusted ARI Performance Certified mark that provides consumer assurance of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) product performance. ARI’s certification programs are voluntary and open to domestic and international manufacturers of this equipment.

“The goal of the certification program is to provide a common method for evaluating the performance of commercial refrigerators to give consumers confidence in the equipment they purchase,” said Bruce Hierlmeier, chairman of ARI’s Commercial Refrigeration Manufacturers Product Section. “In addition to providing performance assurance, the certification program will be relied upon by manufacturers to provide independent verification that their products meet regulatory requirements in the US and Canada.”

Products certified under the program include self-contained refrigerated cabinets designed and used for commercial purposes in displaying, storing or dispensing perishable products. Certification of remote condensing models will start after Jan. 1, 2008. Specifically excluded from the program are components or products included within the scope of other ARI product sections.

The equipment under this program is tested in accordance with ANSI/ARI Standard 1200, Commercial Refrigerated Display Merchandisers and Storage Cabinets. To perform the testing, ARI uses two independent laboratories, Intertek and Underwriter Laboratories.

The use of the ARI Performance Certified mark is only granted to products that meet or exceed the manufacturer’s published performance ratings through ARI’s independent, annual testing of the product. To verify that a particular product has earned the ARI Performance Certified mark, consumers can access ARI’s online Directory of Certified Product Performance at www.aridirectory.org.     

New Rugged Temperature Sensor Designed for Difficult Environments

Spectrum Sensors and Controls has introduced a ruggedized sensor for monitoring temperature in challenging applications, such as high moisture environments where the sensor is subject to continuous freeze/thaw cycles. The sensor’s thermistor element is isolated from outside moisture as well as the high stress of freezing and thawing through a unique, swaged end design that provides an excellent moisture seal between the cable and housing. This ruggedized temperature sensor delivers quick response and thermal tracking and is suited for HVAC, food and beverage and refrigeration system applications.

Spectrum’s new ruggedized temperature sensor has been tested to 10,000 freeze/thaw thermal cycles, is waterproof to IP68 and has a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. The sensor features standard resistance values ranging from 2,252 to 10,000 Ω at 25°C with a wide variety of thermistor curves and resistances available to meet customers’ requirements. Standard cable length is 3 feet with optional lengths and terminals available, and the sensor can be used with Spectrum’s Clip-On assembly for 3/8-inch and ½-inch copper pipes.

Spectrum’s ruggedized temperature sensor is designed to address ice build up, a common occurrence in many HVAC, appliance, refrigeration and food service appliances. In a standard temperature sensor, water can generally breach the end seal of the probe therefore allowing the ice to exert a significant force on the wire or cable. Once the water has penetrated the housing, subsequent freezing and thawing cycles help provide a direct moisture path to the thermistor element.

FLIR’s SC8000 includes a high-performance 16-channel readout that provides digital data at 205 M pixels/second. This advanced readout functionality offers multiple triggering modes, integration times and window sizes to meet the most demanding application requirements.

It produces full window 1024 by 1024 14-bit data at a rapid 132 frames per second (fps). The camera’s FPA also supports windowing which allows for even faster frame rates. By reducing the window size, the SC8000 offers frame rates of 309 fps at 640 by 512,751 fsp at 320 by 256, and 909 fsp at 160 by 120. The SC8000’s camera control interface enables the user to adjust the output frame rate of the camera from 0.0015 Hz to full frame.
In addition, the SC8000 supports up to four active preset operating modes, each with adjustable integration time, frame rate, window location, and window size. The presets can be used individually or in a continuous cyclic mode for pre-determined sequencing and super-framing. The SC8000’s built-in IRIG-B timing provides onboard deterministic time stamping of each frame of data as well as advanced IRIG-B options.

The SC8000 is compatible with FLIR’s ThermaCAM RTools software for data acquisition, analysis, and reporting. In addition, the SC8000 has an optional software development kit for custom programming.

Developed from the robust PowerDome platform, Moondance Thermal (branded as Mic1-411 in the United Kingdom and Europe) combines mechanical pan-tilt functionality with a thermal imager and a day/night zoom sensor. The resulting performance capabilities cover the entire spectrum of surveillance levels, consisting of detection, classification, recognition and identification.

A compact, robust and all-weather operable unit, Moondance Thermal provides important new surveillance capabilities for critical security applications. Moondance Thermal has already received first orders from an undisclosed United Kingdom government end-user.

Moondance Thermal is currently offered on a controlled basis for project-specific opportunities to systems integrators in defense and Homeland Security.

The new equipment, which will expand the capabilities of the company’s Global Application Technology (GApT) organization, will be used to evaluate materials and optimize process conditions for making low-denier (2 to 6 dpf) fibers with GE’s high performance, flame-retardant Ultem1 polyetherimide (PEI) resin and other high-temperature resins. By optimizing the melt spinning process using its high-end materials, GE Plastics will be able to offer new options for manufacturers of fabrics and textiles that must comply with strict flame, smoke and toxicity regulations.

“With the acquisition of specialized equipment for low-denier fibers, GE Plastics is entering a new industry where our materials will play an increasingly important and critical role,” said Rick Pontillo, general manager, Global Application Technology, GE Plastics. “As textile manufacturers face increasingly strict compliance requirements GE Plastics will help provide new fiber solutions featuring inherent flame retardance and excellent resistance to high heat and chemicals. We expect this capital investment to enable us to quickly develop new high performance fiber applications spanning global industry.”  

The new melt spinning fiber line at GE Plastics can process resins at up to 450°C, enabling the use of next-generation materials such as GE’s Ultem and Extem1 resin grades. The equipment can produce continuous filaments at speeds up to 1,800 meters per minute, and is capable of in-line drawing of fibers. The melt spinning process involves feeding a polymer into a screw extruder, heating it to the molten state, and extruding it through a spinneret (die) with 144 small orifices. The new equipment at the PPDC can produce both low and high denier (6 to 10 dpf) fibers and is equipped for co-extrusion, further expanding GE’s processing capabilities. Fibers produced with Ultem and Extem resins are colorable, and can be converted into staple fibers and filaments for use in woven and non-woven applications.

GE Plastics’ Ultem 9011 resin is one major focus of the company’s application development work in the advanced fiber arena. Its outstanding toughness, inherent flame retardance without the use of halogens, and extreme high-temperature performance, make fibers produced with Ultem 9011 resin an excellent choice for a broad range of demanding applications. These include aircraft interiors such as seat covers and vertical walls; home furnishings; high-temperature filtration media; and protective clothing. GE’s Ultem 9011 fiber has already been evaluated in mattress applications and shown to be effective as a barrier to achieve compliance with the provisions of California Technical Bulletin (TB) 603.

The PPDC’s process development work encompasses the full range of molding, extrusion, and thermoforming methods, as well as performance testing methodologies and related technologies. Secondary operations support, such as painting and the structural analysis of finished components are also provided.

June
3-6 PTC/USER World Event 2007, Tampa, Fla.
11-13 Sensors Expo & Conference, Rosemont, Ill.
12-13 2007 North American Heating & Energy Expo, Boston, Mass.
12-14 Atlantic Design and Manufacturing Show, New York, N.Y.
17-19 Edison Electric Institute 2007 Annual Convention and Expo, Denver, Colo.
24-27 International Thermal Conductivity Conference and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium, Birmingham, Ala.
24-27 Electrical Apparatus Service Association Conference 2007, Minneapolis, Minn.

July
8-12 2007 American Society of Mechanical Engineers-Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers Thermal Engineering Conference and Summer Heat Transfer Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada
16-20 Cryogenic Engineering Conference & International Cryogenic Materials Conference 2007, Chattanooga, Tenn.
16-20 Semicon West 2007, San Francisco, Calif.

August
15-16 World Energy Engineering Congress 2007, Atlanta, Ga.
19-23 American Chemical Society 234th National Meeting and Exposition, Boston, Mass.
22-24 Radiant Panel Association Annual Conference and Semi-Annual Radiant Exposition, Hartford, Conn.

September
11-13 The Predictive Maintenance Technology Conference and Expo, Las Vegas, Nev.
16-19 Thermoforming Conference 2007, Cincinnati, Ohio
17-19 ASM Heat Treating Society Conference and Exposition, Detroit, Mich.
24-26 Insulating Concrete Form Association Fall Meeting and Expo 2007, St. Louis, Mo.
25-27 National Manufacturing Week, Rosemont, Ill.

October
1-5 Circuit Breaker Test and Maintenance Training Conference, Pittsburgh, Pa.
4-6 Insulation Contractors Association of America Convention and Trade Show, San Diego, Calif.
7-11 Surface Mount Technology Association International 2007, Orlando, Fla.
10-12 International Boat Builders' Exhibition 2007, Miami, Fla.
11-13 The NAFEM Show, Atlanta, Ga.
14-19 AVS 54th International Symposium and Exhibition, Seattle, Wash.
15-17 Pack Expo 2007, Las Vegas, Nev.
15-19 InfraMation 2007, Las Vegas, Nev.
22-24 The Electrical Insulation Conference/Electrical Manufacturing Expo 2007, Nashville, Tenn.
24-27 125th Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association Convention, Anaheim, Calif.
30-Nov. 1 Chem Show: Chemical Process Industries Exposition, New York City, N.Y.

November
11-15 International Microelectronics and Packaging Society IMAPS 2007 International Symposium on Microelectronics, San Jose, Calif.

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