Honeycomb creates data security

In the age of digital information and communication technology, electronic data and programs are at the heart of business. Constantly protecting them and ensuring their availability is one of the core tasks of responsible corporate action. Freudenberg Filtration Technologies is making a significant contribution to this (data) security with Honeycomb modules and system solutions for data centers.

Data loss dangers lurk everywhere. Sometimes even in places that at first glance do not appear vulnerable – for example in the room air. In data centers, this air needs not only to be clean but pure as well. One potential risk is dust particles that can attach themselves to the highly sensitive electronics. Another major source of danger is presented by corrosive gases, which are released during the combustion of fossil fuels – for example, sulfur dioxide or various nitrogen oxides. These gases can cause corrosion and this is especially the case in urban conurbations with large volumes of car and truck traffic and heating systems.

High temperatures and humidity as risk factors

“The number of data centers is growing, and more and more of them are in the heart or immediate vicinity of urban centers with high levels of corrosive noxious gases in the air. In addition, data centers are now frequently operated at higher room air temperatures than before. Already a temperature increase of 10°C doubles the corrosion rate. In areas with high humidity, the risk of corrosion and therefore the risk of failure increases too”, explained Dr. Rene Engelke, Market Segment Manager Gas-Phase Filtration at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies.

Viledon^® Honeycomb modules offer a secure and reliable solution. With their unique Versacomb technology, they filter corrosive noxious gases with minimal pressure loss and correspondingly high flow rates, extremely economically and energy-efficiently. The key to achieving optimum filtration performance lies in their sophisticated honeycomb-like canal structure, in combination with active carbon as a filter medium. Their compact geometry also saves space. The filters are easy to install in standard housings and are also maintenance-friendly. Where Viledon^® Honeycomb modules are used to efficiently remove corrosive noxious gases from the air, even high temperatures and humidity no longer constitute a risk of failure.

There is a need for action in Europe

“In the major conurbations of China and the USA, there is already a keen awareness of the danger of corrosive gases in data centers”, Dr. Engelke explained. In these countries, well-known companies such as China Telecom and Alibaba rely on Viledon^® Honeycomb modules and systems from Freudenberg Filtration Technologies for reliable gas-phase filtration. “With this technology, we are the technology leaders in terms of corrosion protection. More and more operators are already incorporating Viledon^® Honeycomb modules into their plans to build new data centers or using them to upgrade existing facilities.”

Awareness of these issues in Europe is less pronounced. “Air pollution, and thus the risk of corrosion for electronic components and the risk of faults, failures and data loss, is just as high in many European conurbations,” Dr. Engelke observed. In combination with Viledon^® particle filters that have proved their effectiveness for decades, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies also offers complete Viledon^® Honeycomb systems for data centers and many other sensitive applications – for example, control systems in refineries and petrochemical plants. These filtration systems and the service packages that support them are always individually tailored by Freudenberg to meet specific needs of each individual customer.