Numerical Investigation for the Arrangement of Perforated Tile under a Non-uniform Heat Source Condition in a Raised-floor Data Center

Abstract

The research object of this paper was a typical raised-floor data center where the heat load of each rack was non-uniform. The non-uniform heat source caused that the temperature field in the room was also non-uniform and part of the rack outlet temperature was relatively high. In view of this problem, a numerical simulation was conducted to investigate the effect of the arrangement of perforated tile on the air distribution and the temperature field. The results indicate that a better arrangement of perforated tile could optimize the air distribution and make the temperature field in the room more uniform. The maximum rack outlet temperature was reduced by about 2.1°C under the proper condition of the tiles opening ratio, which means that the energy efficiency of the cooling system was accordingly improved. The adjustment of the tiles opening ratio could be a solution to the non-uniform heat source problem in a raised-floor data center.