How Belimo Supports CRAH and Fan Wall Data Center Applications

^{Top image credit: Weldon Brewster}

Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAHs) and fan wall systems remain important in many data center cooling strategies, but the demands around them are changing. Where traditional air-cooled environments often operated in the 5 to 10 kW per rack range, newer high-density applications can reach as high as 140 kW, with next-generation systems reaching as high as 227 kW. As a result, many data centers are moving beyond conventional room cooling and adopting more hybrid and liquid-cooled designs.

These systems continue to play an important role in many data center environments, especially in existing facilities and hybrid cooling architectures. CRAH and fan wall applications depend on precise chilled-water-side control and coordinated airflow management to maintain stable data hall conditions.

How Belimo Supports CRAH and Fan Wall Applications

Belimo supports these applications with a portfolio that includes the Energy Valve, EPIV, temperature and humidity sensors, CCVs, damper actuators, differential pressure sensors, thermal energy meters, and butterfly valves. Together, these solutions extend control across the cooling system as data center infrastructure becomes more complex.

How the Belimo Energy Valve Supports CRAH, Fan Wall, and Hybrid Cooling

The Belimo Energy Valve is especially relevant on the hydronic and liquid-cooling side of modern data center systems. It supports CRAH and fan wall applications, along with broader hybrid and liquid-cooling applications such as CDU, cold plate, RDHx, and two-phase immersion cooling, making it a strong fit for facilities where chilled water control and thermal performance are becoming more important.

By using flow and temperature differential data, or delta T, to regulate thermal load directly, the Energy Valve helps match cooling output more closely to actual demand. That gives operators a more precise way to manage chilled water performance as loads change across the facility. In data centers, where cooling energy has a major impact on overall power use, that precision can also help reduce waste while supporting stable thermal conditions.

This becomes especially important as liquid cooling is layered onto existing infrastructure. In many hybrid environments, air-side cooling remains in place to manage room conditions and residual heat. In those spaces, the Energy Valve can be applied across both traditional CRAH-based cooling and newer liquid-cooling applications.

That includes direct-to-chip cooling. When paired with a differential pressure sensor, the Energy Valve can maintain constant differential pressure across the rack, helping keep flow balanced through each cold plate even if server configurations change or individual servers are removed for maintenance. In high-density AI and HPC environments, that kind of control helps maintain more consistent thermal performance.

EPIV in CRAH and Fan Wall Applications

The EPIV is a strong choice when the priority is precise, pressure-independent flow control. In CRAH and fan wall applications, it provides reliable flow control that helps maintain stable operating conditions, supporting consistent cooling performance.

The EPIV also supports broader data center cooling applications such as CDU, RDHx, and immersion cooling. It can be reprogrammed as rack requirements change, helping data centers adapt to rising cooling demands over time. In environments where loads, pressure conditions, and cooling requirements can shift quickly, that flexibility matters.

Sensors and Air-Side Control in CRAH and Fan Wall Applications

In CRAH and fan wall applications, sensors help monitor temperature and humidity in the data hall and provide the feedback needed to support proper system control and stable environmental conditions. As data center cooling becomes more connected and more data-driven, that visibility becomes increasingly valuable.

Supporting the Rest of the Cooling System

Belimo’s role in data center cooling extends beyond the Energy Valve, EPIV, and sensors. CCVs support CDU, RDHx, fan wall, and headers. Damper actuators support CRAH, fan wall, outside air, and generator applications. Butterfly valves support central plant, headers, and isolation valves. Together, these products extend control across the air side, the water side, and the larger plant infrastructure that supports data center cooling.

Built for the Future

As rack densities rise and cooling architectures become more complex, the ability to respond with precision, visibility, and flexibility becomes increasingly important. Belimo helps support stable operation today while providing the versatility to accommodate evolving cooling demands in the future.