September 3, 2009 -- RF Code, Inc. has introduced a liquid detection sensor that eliminates the need to wire or cable a data center for liquid leak detection capabilities. Combining thin-film technology with RF Code's real-time, wire-free environmental monitoring technology, the sensor provides the ability to easily deploy liquid detection wherever vulnerabilities to conductive liquids threaten expensive IT assets.
Such deployment scenarios, according to the company, include: wrapping the film-based sensor around floor or ceiling pipes; laying it down on vulnerable floor areas including areas under or above a raised floor; placing it on water delivery systems and chillers, including those found under raised floors in older data centers; and attaching it to air conditioning units and walls.
The RF Code fluid sensor uses thin-film fluid sensing technology developed by Korean-based Yumin System Technology Co, Ltd. The University of Texas IC2 Institute's Global Commercialization Group initiated the strategic partnership with Yumin to integrate its liquid detecting film technology into RF Code's sensor solution. As a result of the partnership, RF Code says it is the first U.S. company to introduce real time, wire free fluid detection.
Unlike available leak detection sensors that need "air time" to dry off between water incidents, RF Code says its film-based sensor can be immediately wiped down and ready for action instantly. As a result, there is no leak detection downtime, i.e. the period between incidents that typical leak sensors require to dry off fully before recouping their ability to sense for water presence. In addition, the amount of liquid presence needed to initiate a leak alert is minimal, thereby reducing response time to an emerging threat.
"For data centers especially, the unwelcome presence of water signals a host of expensive dangers that range from IT equipment damage to structural problems," says Mitch Medford, CEO of RF Code. "Until now, it's been difficult to provide blanket protection for the myriad of potential leak sources. By eliminating the costly cabling problem and building in a sensor infrastructure that's easily deployable and redeployable, RF Code is changing the way data centers attack longstanding challenges."
The fluid sensor attaches to an RF Code active RFID sensor tag via a three meter cord to allow maximum placement flexibility. Information captured by the sensor tag is instantly sent to the proprietary Sensor Manager software, which provides real-time monitoring and alerting about environmental conditions at a site. The software provides customer-defined condition thresholds and alerting as well as customer configurable scheduled and ad-hoc reporting.
The company also offers its Environmental Monitoring Pilot Pack, which in addition to the liquid detection sensor features these RF Code products: seven R150 temperature tags; one R155 humidity-temperature tag; the Sensor Manager software for 20 assets. The cost for the Pilot Pack is $2995.
On the Web:
www.rfcode.com