Investigating thermal performance and energy efficiency in under-floor air distribution data centers: A case study

Abstract

This study conducted on-site measurements of air temperature and airflow velocity at the cold aisle outlet, combined with infrared imaging, to derive optimized layouts for rack servers. It was found that installing blind plates effectively improves the uniformity of cold air distribution within the racks, as indicated by the temperature and airflow velocity at the server inlet and outlet under both blind and non-blind plate conditions. Finally, thermal performance indicators (i.e., SHI, β, RHI, RCI) and Reynolds number were used to assess the thermal performance of the data center, while energy efficiency indicators (i.e., PUE, WUE, CUE) were employed to evaluate its energy efficiency. The results revealed that the cold aisle has less air distribution at both ends and is more concentrated in the middle. It is advisable to position high-power servers in the middle racks and place racks with relatively lower power at the front and rear ends to ensure effective heat dissipation of the servers. The installation of blind plates can effectively enhance the uniformity of airflow within the racks and improve server cooling. Among the tested racks, 16 out of 17 exhibited low temperatures (RCILO) below 90%, indicating heat loss and energy waste. The PUE value of the data center is 1.19, and the CUE value is 0.77.