Optimizing cooling performance of a data center.

Author(s) : RADMEHR A., FITZPATRICK J. A., KARKI K. C., et al.

Type of article: Article, Case study

Summary

In this article, we present a case study that combines computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and measurements to evaluate the cooling performance of a raisedfloor data center. To improve the cooling efficiency, we propose enhancements such as equipping the blowers of computer room air-handling (CRAB) units with variable frequency drive (VFD) electric motors, adjusting the speed of the blowers to maintain a certain pressure below the raised floor, and increasing the temperature settings of the CRAB units. These enhancements were evaluated and fine-tuned using CFD modeling. After their implementation, the temperatures of the racks and energy consumption of the data center were monitored for several months. This data showed that the inlet temperatures of the racks stayed below the ASHRAE recommended maximum value and the energy consumption of the data center was reduced by 58%. The cost of the enhancement will be recovered by the saving in operating cost over 1.5 years.

Details

  • Original title: Optimizing cooling performance of a data center.
  • Record ID : 30025200
  • Languages: English
  • Source: ASHRAE Journal - vol. 60 - n. 7
  • Publication date: 2018/07

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