Shell Case Study_Updated Sept 2011

8/4/2019 Shell Case Study_Updated Sept 2011

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Shell is a worldwide group of energy and petrochemical companies, witharound 100,000 employees covering more than 90 countries and territoriesaround the World. It has revenues of around US$278 billion (around 180billion), and produces 3.1 million barrels of gas and oil every day.

The company has operations across Europe, and in one example, a number ofexploration teams work together closely between its sites in Aberdeen in Scotland andStavanger in Norway.

To enable this team-working to be as efficient as possible, Shell has installed what it calls

Viz rooms in each of those locations, which provide virtual reality (VR) communications.

Theses Viz rooms each contain two high-performance HP XW9400 workstation PCs,

which are used by staff for 3D modelling and collaboration services.

Kellsystems.co.uk/case_studies.asp

NEXT > The Challenge


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NEXT > The Solution

The Challenge

Having set up the Viz rooms, Shell found that the noise generated by the PCs was a hugeproblem, and specifically meant that it was extremely difficult to conduct conversations via videolink-up with the other locations.

"The rooms are quite small, so the noise of the PC towers working hard was distracting,"says Simon Green, Virtual Reality Centre Coordinator at Shell.

Cooling the computers was also an issue for Shell, and it needed a solution that did not generateextra noise, as Green explains: "As we were using videoconferencing, the last thing wewanted was to be distracted by hearing an air conditioning system.""Putting the computers outside the room was not an option," says Green. "The peopleusing the room need access to log on, to use USB drives, or to reboot the PCs ifrequired."

Experience with similar rooms had shown Shell that managing clutter was also a factor, asGreen comments: "We had rooms without cabinets, and they ended up being noisy andawkward, with cables all over the place."


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NEXT > Noise Reduction

The Solution

To overcome its noise problems, and to provide an ergonomic way to store the PCs and theirperipherals, the company selected Kell Systems 24U ComputerVault Pro (Model PSE24), whichprovides 24 rack spaces and 10 surge-protected power outlets. Shell uses one Kell Cabinet ineach of the five Viz rooms in Aberdeen.

"The cabinets mean that we can keep everything out of the way, and shutting the doorblocks out the noise from the computer fans," says Green.

The Kell cabinets also provide ventilation for the PC workstations. "Our users were initiallyconcerned about closing the doors due to over-heating concerns, until we explainedabout the cabinets cooling systems," says Green.

"These PCs used to be under a desk, but before we had the cabinets we had overheatingproblems as they are top-end systems the heat they generated was incredible."


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NEXT > Ergonomic

Noise Reduction

"The main reason for choosing the Kell cabinets was because we wanted the rooms to bequiet they were particularly good at achieving that," says Green. "This is the mostimportant benefit that the cabinets have provided our users have been impressed thatthey can close the doors and it simply goes quiet."

Typical servers in an open office will generate noise at a level of something like 62 dBA to 68dBA, which for comparison is above the 60 dBA level of normal conversational speech. Tobecome unobtrusive, the noise from the servers or other hardware must be reduced to the levelof the general office background noise, which is around 50 dBA.

At such reduced levels, the human brain perceives the noise from the servers as part of theoverall background noise and it will go unnoticed. This is similar to the unnoticed 45 dBA to 50dBA hum from most built-in office air conditioning systems.

A Kell server cabinet achieves this required decrease, and typically brings down server noise tobelow 50 dBA. For Shell, they found that in day-to-day usage, their Kell cabinets achieved thenoise reductions they looking for, and ensured their workstations PCs were quiet enough toavoid intruding into the video conferencing conversations.


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Ergonomic

In each Kell server cabinet, Shell has the two HP tower PCs side by side, as well as an audioamplifier which is used for videoconferencing. A shelf in the rack is used to provide dedicatedspaces for the PCs keyboards, and the chargers for the Bluetooth mice used.

"When the room is not being used, everything is kept in the cabinet, which makes it easyfor people to just open the door and take out the keyboard and mice, and check the audioamplifier if they need it," comments Green.

"We didnt want a massive setup with control systems for the amplifier and PCs, and thecabinets mean we can just control the equipment directly, and can barely see the cables."

Green has also found that the cabinets are easy to work with, and comments: "Its useful the waythe cabinets themselves come apart to provide accessits quick and easy to add orchange equipment."

NEXT > The Server Room in a Box


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The Server Room in a Box

One of the reasons that the Kell Server Cabinet, or Netshelter CX as it is also known, proved tobe so successful in solving this issue for Shell, is that it allows for the soundproofed deploymentof server technology in the open office space and consequently outside of the traditional serverroom.

This is not only useful in providing a quiet, flexible home for remote server management, but forthose businesses who are looking to save the space, time, and costs associated with buildingand maintaining a traditional server room, offers a more cost-effective and environmentally

friendly modern alternative.

For Shell, the noise reducing capabilities of theKell Cabinet and its swift and versatile

deployment were crucial to thesuccessful continuation

of this aspect of their

internationaloperations.

In typical usage, Kell's cabinets reduce server noise by up to 83%,CO2 emissions by 97%, floor space by 90%, operating costs

by 98%, and capital costs by up to 80%, when comparedto a server room.

NEXT > Additional Information


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For further information and enquiries:

Nicole Dickinson, Sales Manager, Kell at Schneider ElectricTel: +44 (0) 118 9037850Email: [email protected]: www.kellsystems.co.uk

About Shell

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Our headquarters are in TheHague, the Netherlands, and our Chief Executive Officer is Peter Voser. The parent company ofthe Shell group is Royal Dutch Shell plc, which is incorporated in England and Wales.Our strategy seeks to reinforce our position as a leader in the oil and gas industry in order toprovide a competitive shareholder return while helping to meet global energy demand in aresponsible way.

In Upstream we focus on exploring for new oil and gas reserves and developing major projectswhere our technology and know-how adds value to the resource holders.In Downstream our emphasis remains on sustained cash generation from our existing assetsand selective investments in growth markets.

About Kell SystemsKell Systems now a part of the Schneider Electric family is a UK-based manufacturing firmthat has for more than five years pioneered the design, manufacture and deployment of OfficeICT cabinets. Our unique Server Room in a Box Solution provides a cost-efficient,soundproofed, and versatile solution to housing server equipment that is also environmentallyfriendly.

For further information please visit our website at: www.kellsystems.co.uk/case_studies.asp

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Shell Case Study_Updated Sept 2011