CFD FEA Analysis Modelling

CFD Data Centre Modelling

In modern times, Computational Fluid Dynamics has been rapidly raising as a key tool to cut the massive energy expenses with the help of implicating the innovative and useful ways. The keen accuracy of modeling the mathematical expressions is achieved by CFD through massive computational capacity, increased speed, and many other applications which are becoming the eye catcher for the designers and managers. The modeling of the hardware of Information and Communication Technology involves most of the usage of CFD in data centers. This includes the modeling of air flow which is used for the cooling purposes in the server, past the diabatic wetted pad, and across the cooling coil which is used in chiller. Therefore, CFD has been taken as an important solution tool in this regard.

It should be kept in mind that the flow dynamics modeling of the fluids in the data center rooms can present such areas and spots which can create huge problems as they do not usually shown in the calculations of normal heat and balancing the flow across the board. Hence, CFD can easily be used to predict and explain such “hot spots” in the room alarming that any space has not getting the enough of cooling facility as compared to other parts. It can also be used as a guide to teel that how we can manage our new installation or changing the already installed systems keeping those spots in consideration. Also, Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to carry out the trial modification layout to evaluate any change in moving previous system, installing new system etc. in the data center.

The illustration of the distribution of labor in the cooling units of the data center can also be performed with the Computational Fluid Dynamics along with the complete scenario and working environment conditions of the room prior to their failure. CFD can be foreseen to capture even more market due to increasing speed for the computing which decreases time and the reduction cost of the hardware. This can result in the increased integration of the Computational Fluid Dynamics into the monitoring systems of data centers. Rather than just be used for static assessments of data centers, CFD will be used in real time for dynamic models of data centers as the loads vary. Dynamic CFD simulations will be able to identify the cooling distribution among CRACs and air handling units as server loads rise and fall with varying activity. In this manner, CFD will contribute to the control system that governs the overall facility cooling, activating certain units while deactivating or simply ramping down others. It will, though, be difficult to attain some potential feedback from such system because of its instantaneous systems but this issue can also be removed by taking timescale values for such fluctuations.

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Case Study

Scope:

CFD was done to analyse the thermal performance of data centres and was numerically studied for different configurations of computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units and physical separations of cold and hot aisles.

  1. Check whether the proper air circulation is maintained or not.

  2. Check whether the desired hot and cold aisle temperature is maintained or not

  3. Check whether the proper relative humidity (RH) is maintained or not

Use of CFD for data centre analysis

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a modern technique to assess the solutions of modeling the flow dynamics of fluids (liquids and gases) across, past, and past the solid surfaces and 3D structure. The fundamental accuracy of modeling the mathematical expressions is achieved by CFD through massive computational capacity, increased speed, and many other applications. Few important and most widely used applications like the computational fluid dynamics and the aerodynamic analysis of the Formula 1 which used to happen in specifically designed wind tunnels before.

An important question arises at this place, what is the science behind Computational Fluid Dynamics? The answer to this question leads us to the target of this article, “using CFD for the data center analysis”. The science behind CFD is linked with the division of the whole element into the smaller parts and then modelling the impact of fluid dynamics by solving each part separately and by studying the effect of other parts on each other. This explanation of the methodology accentuates how the CFD can be linked with data centers.

The modeling of the hardware of Information and Communication Technology involves most of the usage of CFD in data centers. This includes the modeling of air flow which is used for the cooling purposes in the server, past the diabatic wetted pad, and across the cooling coil which is used in chiller. Also, it can be used to model the flow of air form the room, through any raised floor, over the tiles of floor which are ventilated, into the cabinets of Information and Communication technology, and into the cold-aisle and hot-aisle. Similarly, Computational fluid Dynamics is sometimes used to predict and explain such “hot spots” in the room alarming that any particular space has not getting the enough of cooling facility as compared to other parts. It can also be used as a guide to teel that how we can manage our new installation or changing the already installed systems according to the usage spectrum in the data centers.

But we should always keep this fact in consideration that the modeling of data center provided by CFD will not always be accurate as it will present one scenario out of many possible scenarios. The assumptions for the modeler include different air sources, scavenge fans, and feed fans, large room with fixed layout for cabinet, assumed level of bypass air between hot and cold aisle, etc. A major problem that arises during the modeling of data center CFD is the loading and unloading of each server. Hence, it can only support the external hardware and the inner details cannot be accurately mimicked by it.