Thermal efficiency modeling in a subtropical data center

This chapter presents a study on examining and improving thermal efficiency of a data center. It reports the development of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for the performance analysis of computer room air conditioners, detailed rack-by-rack inlet and exit temperatures and 3D thermal mapping of the data center and racks. In particular, the model identified the potential high-temperature zone within the computer rack and provided a detailed 3D analysis of how cold air moved through the data center. The study determined the impact on cooling resources such as equipment layout, air flow rate, floor tiles, heat load distribution, and other supplementary cooling strategies. It also proposed temperature estimates for given rack loadings. The developed CFD model can be used to develop cooling strategies for achieving better thermal performance in data centers.