de Boer, GN orcid.org/0000-0002-5647-1771, Johns, A, Delbosc, N et al. (4 more authors) (2018) Three computational methods for analysing thermal airflow distributions in the cooling of data centers. International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow, 28 (2). pp. 271-288. ISSN 0961-5539
Abstract
Purpose; This aim of this work is to investigate different modelling approaches for air-cooled data centres. The study employs three computational methods, which are based on finite element, finite volume and lattice Boltzmann methods and which are respectively implemented via commercial Multiphysics software, open-source computational fluid dynamics code and graphical processing unit-based code developed by the authors. The results focus on comparison of the three methods, all of which include models for turbulence, when applied to two rows of datacom racks with cool air supplied via an underfloor plenum. Design/methodology/approach; This paper studies thermal airflows in a data centre by applying different numerical simulation techniques that are able to analyse the thermal airflow distribution for a simplified layout of datacom racks in the presence of a computer room air conditioner. Findings; Good quantitative agreement between the three methods is seen in terms of the inlet temperatures to the datacom equipment. The computational methods are contrasted in terms of application to thermal management of data centres. Originality/value;The work demonstrates how the different simulation techniques applied to thermal management of airflow in a data centre can provide valuable design and operational understanding. Basing the analysis on three very different computational approaches is new and would offer an informed understanding of their potential for a class of problems.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This is an author produced version of a paper published in the International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Data center cooling; Lattice Boltzmann; Finite Element; Finite Volume |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Mechanical Engineering (Leeds) > Institute of Engineering Thermofluids, Surfaces & Interfaces (iETSI) (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EU - European Union 320013 EPSRC EP/L00030X/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2018 16:45 |
Last Modified: | 28 Mar 2018 13:12 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/HFF-10-2016-0431 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:126518 |