Improving Data Center Airflow
Can Increase Thermal Efficiency 30%
According the the EPA Data Center Report to Congress published in August of 2007, "up to 30% improvement in data center energy efficiency can be obtained from improved airflow management". CoolSim is a software tool for allowing users to create a "virtual model" of their data center thereby enabling the ability to perform "what if" studies to optimize the cold airflow within the room. CoolSim is a very easy to use tool that requires no prior experience to gain meaningful insight and results.
CoolSim Software Delivers Key Operational Benefits;
- Lower Data Center operational costs by identifying excess cooling capacity.
- Identify how to increase the computer capacity without increasing the cooling capacity.
- Predict the maximum IT capacity for a given Data Center with 100% confidence.
- Predict the impact of adding computer capacity or cooling capacity to existing Data Centers.
- Optimize the equipment placement by performing "what-if" virtual designs using CoolSim.
About CoolSim Data Center Modeling
The primary objective of Data Center Cooling Systems is maintaining the air temperature at rack inlets within standard operating guidelines. This requires an adequate supply of cooling air as well as effective distribution of the airflow to the inlets of all the racks. This helps to reduce downtime, extend equipment life and optimize energy costs associated with the air conditioning system. However recent studies have shown that although most Data Centers have over twice the cooling capacity required, they still experience "hot spots" throughout the Data Center. This is a result of poor airflow management, and because airflow and pressure are invisible, it is difficult to develop a strategy for improving airflow management without the use of an airflow management modeling tool.
CoolSim Airflow Modeling
To help meet this objective we developed a specialized CFD modeling tool for Data Centers called CoolSim. CoolSim was designed specifically for modeling the thermal environment of Data Centers by using proven CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) methods used by Fortune 100 companies to design products ranging from automobiles to hypersonic spacecraft. By taking into account the Data Center floor plan, the thermal loads (computational and power) and the sources (CRAC Units), CoolSim is able to analytically calculate the pressure, temperature and velocity of air throughout the entire Data Center with a high degree of accuracy.