IoT Sensor Rail for Environmental Monitoring Case study WSTAR - Wasa Zero Emission Data Centre

Abstract

Cooling systems account for 30 – 40 % of the energy required in data centres. The thesis was developed as a part of the WSTAR project. WSTAR – Wasa Zero Emission Data Centre is a research facility that is built up in Technobothnia, enabling research for climate-neutral data centres for the future. Data centres require certain environmental conditions to operate optimally and ensure the durability and optimal functionality of the IT equipment they contain. A study was conducted on a selection of various low-cost digital sensors. An IoT prototype device was developed using the selected sensors as a proof of concept. Temperature at different altitudes within a data centre is of particular interest for maintaining optimal operating conditions for servers and other components housed in rack cabinets. The objective is to develop an IoT sensor that measures temperature in a linear vertical profile, using multiple temperature sensors evenly distributed from the ceiling to the floor. Future improvements to the IoT sensor could include the integration of additional sensors, such as VOC and CO2 gas sensors. Only the proof of concept was done. The physical construction of the IoT device using a custom PCB and integration of the vertical temperature sensing unit were not completed.