Data Hall equipment contamination. Recently we cleaned a new Data Hall to us. We were asked to clean the equipment as part of the SCOPE. The Data Halls equipment’s air inlets were covered in a black contamination; this was very black and oily in texture. Indeed, it looked like oil. We sent sample to a laboratory. The sample was 49% carbon 6.9% Hydrogen and 6.3% Nitrogen, then relatively high levels of Iron Oxide, Aluminium Oxide and Zinc. The sample had a high relative humidity of 37%. This possibly accounts for the oily texture.

So where was it coming from. The Data Hall utilised direct adiabatic air conditioning, utilising external air. I asked to see the inlets which proved interesting, 100m to 200m away was a big source of airborne particulate. The black dust was visible on the outside of the building housing the data hall, especially near the air inlets.  

Conclusion:

Air being drawn from outside is contaminated with dust from the nearby source. This is being moved to the Adiabatic system where moister is introduced to the airflow. This now cooled air, still laden with particulate (dust) and increase moisture is moved around the Data Hall cooling the equipment. The moist dust is being deposited on the surfaces it encounters. In this case the equipment air inlets. We did also find this contamination on all surfaces including the floor. The pictures below show the damage being caused by the damp dust on fans. Note the Iron and Aluminium oxide present, this is a worrying as this contaminant is being drawn into the inside of the equipment. We found this oily dust on all surfaces including the floor.

From these pictures you can see the iron oxide on the fans protective cover. The aluminium oxide is the silver stuff glistening. The dust analysis shows high levels of both of these in the sample.