Airflow Concerns For Open Racks; Figure B-2 Open Rack Ideal Configuration - Enterasys 08H20G4-24 Hardware Installation Manual

Airflow Concerns for Open Racks

Equipment with different air flow cooling patterns, such as front to back or side to side, can
present special concerns. Recirculation of heated air through equipment is unwanted because it
increases the inlet temperature which causes the equipment components to operate at elevated
temperatures. Likewise, equipment in neighboring racks must be planned to prevent hot air
exhaust from one system being pulled into the inlet of an adjacent system.
Figure B-2 illustrates the ideal configuration for an open rack. All sub-systems flow in the same
direction, as shown by the white arrows.
Figure B-2
Figure B-3 on page B-4 below shows a non-ideal configuration for an open rack, where sub-
systems with mixed flow directions (white arrows) are combined in one rack. Circular red arrows
show potential for hot air recirculation.
Open Rack Ideal Configuration
Temperature and Humidity Guidelines
Enterasys 800-Series Hardware Installation Guide B-3