Edenaire supports BT's 21 CN network with energy efficient cooling
Edenaire has started fulfilling orders of custom built energy efficient air handling units as part of a major programme to provide cooling in switching centres and exchanges as BT continues its roll-out of its 21st century network (21CN).
BT’s 21CN project, dubbed the world’s most ‘radical next
generation network’, is set to replace the current PSTN network with
a new network based upon Internet Protocol (IP) technology as the common carrier
for delivering all systems, products and services – including voice and
data.
A phased approach will see the transfer of approximately 80% of BT users using the new network by 2008 with the remaining 20% completing the switch over by 2010.
Edenaire is actively involved in the pilot network in Cardiff and surrounding areas where BT is migrating approximately 35,000 customer lines. The rest of the country will follow over the next six years. To enable the new network BT’s infrastructure will undergo a radical transformation with new switches under construction and many exchanges needing to be upgraded to co-locations sites.
“A by-product of the advances in computing and telecommunications is that the hardware generates phenomenal quantities of heat” cites Rob Jones Telecomms Cooling Manager. “As a solutions led-business Edenaire was able to tackle the issues and design an energy efficient solution that met BT’s specific requirements.”
Although BT’s requirements dictated a precision air controlled environment, the challenge was to combine BT’s key environmental drivers; reliability, low cost and using majority fresh air with energy saving.
By using the latest advances in fans, controllers, software and mechanical components Edenaire developed a high spec, low cost solution based around its eBTX range that offers a 50% increase on energy efficiency with proven cost savings.
As a specialist supplier to BT, Edenaire has been heavily involved from the start of the project. Extensive round-the-clock tests were carried out at designated exchanges to test for performance, reliability and energy efficiency.
This was followed up with further trials of the technology where Edenaire transformed exchanges designated as test sites for the network in Cambridge and Woolwich. Edenaire created complete turnkey facilities with fresh air-cooling as the prime medium for cooling equipment. Four 30kW eBTX air handlers were installed in each data room delivering a cooling capacity of 120kW on an N+1 principal.
“Edenaire is committed to addressing BT’s needs in such a mammoth undertaking. Nothing of this scale has been done in telecoms in the world before and is ground breaking for BT and all its suppliers,” adds Rob Jones.