Development of modular air containment system: Thermal performance optimization of row-based cooling for high-density data centers

Jinkyun Cho and Youngmo Kim

Energy, 2021, vol. 231, issue C

Abstract: Modular air containment (MAC) prototype was developed for optimal row-based cooling system for high-density data centers. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the thermal performance and compare the cooling provisioning of different configurations of row-based cooling system to find the optimum placement of in-row CRAC units. Techno-optimal estimations were performed considering different in-row CRAC placements and aisle layouts. A matrix combination was analyzed based on total 2592 cases that can be implemented. By the whole optimization process of in-row cooler placement, we can achieve the best solution with the statically balanced cooling provisioning with a margin of error of 0.2%. The cooled air from in-row CRAC units was supplied with almost no heat loss in the air distribution paths to each server. Numerical simulations confirmed that the cold-hot-cold (C–H–C) aisle layout can improve the minimum 9% of heat balance for the provisioned CRACs compared to the hot-cold-hot (H–C–H) aisle layout. Temperature distributions, air streamlines and net cooling usages showed that the C–H–C aisle layout has better thermal performance and cooling provisioning especially for the row-based cooling. The C–H–C aisle layout is more proper than the H–C–H aisle layout for achieving the desired cooling efficiency.

Keywords: Data center; Row-based cooling; Air containment system; Thermal performance; Cooling provisioning; CFD simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:231:y:2021:i:c:s0360544221010860

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.120838

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