Hanyang University ERICA Campus 'Kakao Data Center Ansan'
Develops System to Prevent Fire Spread... Patent Applied
"A portable fire extinguisher is attached above the battery, and there is also a sprinkler installed inside."
On the 11th, at 'Kakao Data Center Ansan' located within Hanyang University ERICA campus in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, a red fire extinguisher about 30cm long caught the eye upon entering the battery room to prevent fire outbreaks. The nozzle was aimed at the lithium-ion batteries, ready to spray at any moment.
Even if early suppression fails, the batteries are classified and managed by rack units to prevent the spread of fire. Various hoses and wires for fire prevention equipment were densely attached to the racks. Kakao also developed a newly structured four-stage system for fire response. In case of a battery fire, it cuts off power and prevents spread using fireproof curtains. Then, it attempts initial suppression by spraying extinguishing agents, covers the area with waterproof sheets, and sprays cooling water. If the fire still does not extinguish, a customized firefighting operation linked with the fire department is initiated. This system is currently patent-pending.
This first self-operated data center of Kakao seemed to focus all its capabilities on preventing any possible fire. It reflected the determination not to repeat the nightmare of the 2022 Pangyo data center fire. It can store a total of 120,000 servers, with a data storage capacity reaching 6 exabytes (EB). One EB equals one billion gigabytes (GB). Data Center Ansan handles Kakao’s major services such as KakaoTalk, which processes over 10 billion messages daily on average.
Kakao put great effort into the battery fire prevention system since the ignition point of the 2022 SK C&C Pangyo data center fire was known to be a lithium-ion battery. The fire took over 120 hours for full recovery, causing major disruptions not only to KakaoTalk but also related services.
Jeong Sin-ah, CEO of Kakao, said, "Since Kakao’s services connect the daily lives of the entire nation in real-time, we prioritized stability above all else," adding, "We aimed to build a safe data center that does not stop under any disaster or calamity."
Go Woo-chan, Kakao Infrastructure Technology Performance Leader, said, "In the battery room fire response system, initial response is crucial to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the affected battery."
It is designed not only to withstand fires but also various natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. It is built to operate continuously without interruption. A top-grade seismic design, meeting the standards of domestic nuclear power plants, was applied to withstand earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or higher on the Richter scale. It can also endure strong winds of up to 28 meters per second, and to prevent flood damage, the first floor is designed approximately 1.8 meters higher than the surrounding ground level.
To ensure 24-hour uninterrupted operation, efforts were made to 'duplicate' power, communication, and cooling systems. To prepare for power supply interruptions, a backup power grid capable of immediately supplying 100% of the main power capacity was established, and 12 emergency generators enable the data center to operate without power outages. Each emergency generator produces 3,000 kilowatts (kW), which is enough electricity for about 7,300 households.
Building an eco-friendly data center was also a priority. To efficiently manage water used for cooling, a 'water efficiency index' was introduced, and a high-efficiency pre-cooling system operating in three modes according to seasonal changes was installed. The center also secures its own power through solar panels installed on the building’s exterior and rooftop.
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