Prefabricated energy centre modules, uninterrupted power supply and data centres that can be expanded or scaled can be installed within two to three days on sites throughout Africa, says secure power equipment company Master Power Technologies Durban engineer and project manager Wouter Vermeulen.

The modules can tolerate 40 t of dynamic forces and 30 t of static weight, while retaining removable side panels for expansion and maintenance, and customisable interior spaces for different equipment designs. They do, however, require detailed specifications of equipment and climatic conditions within the design, he says.

“We use computational fluid dynamics to simulate the expected airflow, air containment and cooling performance, which is beneficial to the design of prefabricated modular data centres and servers to enable them to operate efficiently in different environments,” Vermeulen notes.

By including detailed designs of the equipment and performance, as well as climatic data, computational fluid dynamics analysis produces reliable results that save costs and time.

The high roof strength means the roofs can be used for adding a second tier of modules, while the modules can also be added horizontally to increase power or data capacity as the project expands. There are no vertical pillars between modules, which means that open space is available.

The side panels include the steel construction as well as the insulated sandwiched panels. The side panels are loosened from the inside and easily removed for expansion. The insulation can be either rock wool for a two-hour fire rating, or treated polyurethane or polyester for a one-hour fire rating.

The electricity reticulation is included in the design and multi- pin plugs are used for ease of connection.

“A floor depth of 500 mm is generally considered a good depth, but we have built modules with a floor void depth of only 200 mm. A void depth of 500 mm gives you sufficient space for four levels of cable trays and enough height for the air from the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system to reach the equipment at the far end of the module.”

Master Power Technologies uses Liebert and Emerson direct expansion cooling systems, which are robust and easy to maintain. Free cooling could be used should conditions be favourable, and the difference between the interior return temperature of the module and the external temperature is 3 °C or more.

The cooling system can also include an optical smoke detector that will detect the fire and release a suppressant agent in the area.

Every module and system of modules has a building monitoring system that enables users to monitor the status of the fire suppression systems, the air conditioning, the access control and security systems, as well as the temperatures across the room.

The modular system enables users to control costs and expand power generation and data centres as and when needed, concludes Vermeulen.