Tate's Look at What You Need to Know About Electro-Static Discharge in a Data Center

JESSUP, Md., June 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- When ASHRAE's TC 9.9 technical committee widened the recommended ranges for temperature and humidity in the data center in 2010, it opened the doors for an industry-wide rethink on the subject of energy efficiency in IT environments.  The recommendations had a lasting impact on data center designers, equipment manufacturers, and operators.

Far lesser known is a subsequent study that sought to answer a simple question:  if I decrease the humidity levels in my center, do I increase the possibility of damaging electro-static discharge (ESD)?  And what is the role of static-dissipative flooring and other traditional grounding measures in low humidity environments?

ASHRAE TC 9.9 supported a study (CH-15-007, Talebzadeh and Patnaik; DE-13-031, Wan and Swenson) to get to the bottom of the question.  And as it turns out, lowering the humidity level is not very likely to increase ESD levels.  The study shows that no matter what the activity, or the level, only in very isolated cases does the ESD level approach a point at which it crosses the normally accepted threshold for voltage levels.  

Here's why:

1) Controlled experiments that measured activities such as walking, sitting and standing, and removing a sweater inside that data center all increased the amount of ESD, but that level was not impacted by differing humidity levels.

2) It used to be assumed that decreasing the humidity level inside the data center increased risk of ESD, but it was found that the increases are only negligible.  The improvement in energy efficiency far outweighs the risk of slightly higher ESD. 

3) The experiment utilized many different types of shoes worn on both conductive and non-conductive floors and found that using certain footwear and a conductive flooring will lower ESD. It also concluded that most movement inside the data center, including standing from a seated position, has the potential to create some amount of ESD.  Stopping that movement starts the discharge process. 

4) The study noted that the cost associated with a static dissipative floor is "minor compared to continuing operating costs," and that data centers "may see value in the use of" these types of flooring.

5) Finally, the study concluded that normal contact with IT equipment in rooms with lower humidity did not require special discharge measures, but that care still needed to be taken when handling sensitive internal components.

To learn more about Tate's range of anti-static, static-dissipative, and conductive coverings, visit the Data Center Finishes page on our website, or contact our Technical Services team for more information.  Tate is here to support your operating environment.

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SOURCE Tate

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