Analyses of Optimizing Rack Energy Consumption Effectiveness with A New Tool for Evaluation in Internet Data Center

• Main Authors: Ji, Yan-Chang, 季彥成
• Other Authors: Chen, Chiun-Hsun
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/47458394484098813307

博士 === 國立交通大學 === 機械工程學系 === 98 === This study employs three indices (RCI, RHCI, and Equipment Overheat) combined with the fluid dynamics software FLUENT and experiments to analyze the thermal-and-flow fields in an IDC. It supports the reconstruction of an IDC room to reduce power consumption, and proposes standards for energy-saving design. This study consists of three research topics. In the first topic, the study employs the fluid dynamics software FLUENT to analyze the thermal-and-flow fields in an IDC combined with two Rack Cooling Indices, RCIHI and RCILO, which the RCI is used to justify the design performance and evaluate the specifications for a new IDC. In this part, a reference case was simulated and analyzed first. Then it is followed by the parametric studies. The second topic applies a new tool, Rack Humidity Cooling Index (RHCI) to compensate the shortcoming of RCI. It allows the standardized and unbiased comparisons between different thermal environments and areas. Finally, the last topic carries out the experiments to measure the temperature distributions on the rack surfaces facing the cold aisle. The measured data are compared with the numerical correspondent ones. In this study, it is found lower perforated tiles ratios increase not only RCI but also jet flow effects. Higher volume flow rate of CRACs also increases RCI and jet flow effects. Increasing volume flow rate of CRACs up to 1.5 times of the original one can resolve the heat problems above the 10-kW racks. Besides, the experimental results with RCI, RHCI, and Equipment Overheat also lead to a new RCIHI rating range as follows: 0~35% is the overheated range, 35~85% the permitted temperature range, and 85%~100% the ideal range. The influence of climate should be taken into consideration for RCHI, and the effect of overheat can be take into account for Equipment Overheat, and the influence of power system efficiency should be taken into consideration for PUE. Finally, it can fix those problems to improve RCI effectively, and several suggestions are proposed for IDC designers.