WindChill Engineering is a leader in Data Center Air Flow containment solutions. Utilizing the best in cutting edge industry standard airflow containment technology we provide the solutions you need. As demands within the Data Center industry have evolved, the need to effectively manage costs and efficiencies have increased drastically. An inefficient Data Center wastes money. WindChill Engineering provides the cost effective and efficient Data Center airflow solutions you need. Our products will save you money, provide a short return on investment, and help extend the life of your IT equipment.

In short, WindChill Engineering will increase your Data Center cooling efficiency and profitability.

Containment involves isolating and directing airflow within hot and cold aisles using doors, panels, and ceiling panels at row ends, between cabinets, and above cabinet rows. This approach is the most effective means of controlling and optimizing airflow pathways.

Many data centers are provisioned with up to 60% more cooling capacity than required to maintain server temperatures and prevent hot spots, which increases energy consumption and operating expense. Airflow containment prevents mixing of hot and cold streams, delivers conditioned air directly to equipment inlets, and returns hot exhaust air to the CRAC units. The benefits of containment vary by customer priorities and design objectives.

Key purposes of containment:

• Eliminate hot spots and improve temperature uniformity
• Right-size cooling and electrical infrastructure
• Optimize capacity planning and future growth flexibility
• Reduce operating costs through improved system efficiency
• Enable higher supply-air temperatures for energy savings
• Reduce dehumidification load and moisture control requirements
• Improve CRAC unit performance and part‑load efficiency
• Enhance physical security with lockable doors and rigid enclosures
• Improve overall facility appearance and organization

Both hot-aisle and cold-aisle containment use doors at row ends; they differ in airflow routing. Hot-aisle containment typically employs overhead walls or ceilings to channel exhaust air back to the return system, while cold-aisle containment caps the aisle to form a dedicated supply-air plenum.

WindChill provides three product categories, often used together, to help maximize the efficiency of a data center: rigid containment, soft containment, and gap fillers.

WindChill rigid containment is made of sturdy aluminum and NFPA rated clear polycarbonate paneling. WindChill rigid containment meets all ASHRAE and NFPA requirements for fire safety. Rigid containment provides the best seal around an aisle and enhances the look of a data center.

Soft containment is made of a clear vinyl material that is hung like curtains from the ceilings. It is an economical alternative to rigid containment. While not as effective as rigid containment, soft containment still provides the benefits of eliminating hot spots and increasing efficiency in data centers. WindChill soft containment meets NFPA standards for drop to allow the fire suppression system to operate.

Each installation is custom. Contact us for details here:

Office: +1 (801) 494-2098

Email: info@thewindchill.com

GapHOG’s products keep chilled air from escaping into odd spots where it is not used (such as above, below and in-between data center hardware or into hot aisles through data center flooring). You may be losing a few thousand dollars each year in electrical charges due to these “leaks” in your system. A few thousand dollars of savings each year may well be worth the investment in GapHOG’s products.

The money you spend on GapHOG products comes back to you year after year through improved airflow circulation, which means lower energy bills.

Cold aisle containment encloses the cold intake side of racks so chilled air is delivered directly to server fronts, reducing mixing with return air and making it straightforward to integrate with existing CRAC/CRAH layouts; it typically yields predictable intake temperatures, simpler aisle pressure control, and easier incremental implementation in legacy rooms, but can raise return-air temperatures to cooling units and may require more floor-level ducting and careful management of perforated tiles and underfloor plenum dynamics.

Hot aisle containment encloses the hot exhaust side so warm air is captured and routed directly to cooling units, improving cooling-unit efficiency by delivering higher return-air temperatures and enabling free-cooling opportunities, while often reducing the footprint of conditioned airflow and yielding lower overall fan energy in many designs.

Choosing between them depends on priorities: cold aisle favors easier operational visibility at rack intakes and simpler phased rollouts in heterogeneous environments, while hot aisle favors long-term energy savings, higher economizer benefit, and cleaner separation when ducting to heat rejection is feasible. The best choice aligns with existing room architecture, cooling infrastructure, maintenance practices, and a clear plan for airflow measurement and controls.

These panels are designed to work with either water or chemical based suppression systems. Should a fire suppression system engage due to a fire, the Melt Away roofing system will shrink and fall to the floor allowing the suppression system to extinguish the fire.