The short air supply distance of the row-based cooling system improved the cooling efficiency. However, the row-based coolers are closer to the racks, resulting in high-speed airflow and airflow mixing problem in the aisles. The internal structure of a row-cooled cluster is closely related to the cooling effect, and existing studies neglect the synergistic effect of multiple factors on the thermal performance of the row-based cooling system, which is still controversial about the optimal form of a row-based cooling cluster. This study analyzes and presents row-based cooling system airflow problems through large-scale field experiments and simulation. All rows' supply heat index (SHI) exceeds 0.2, and the return temperature index (RTI) exceeds 100 %, indicating a poor thermal environment in the DC. Taguchi and TOPSIS methods were used to analyze the coupling effect on the number of racks, power density, hot and cold aisle width, cooler's location, server's location, and blanking panels of the cluster's thermal environment. The optimal row-based cooling cluster structure form for different rack numbers and power density was determined. In order to optimize the air supply path of the cooler to reduce the air supply stream's collision, the effects of deflectors with different structures installed at the cooler supply and return air vents on the thermal environment were analyzed based on the optimal cluster structure. In practice, it is recommended to install deflectors of 45° with 50 mm, 75° with 30 mm, or 70 mm in the air supply vent of the cooler to create a better thermal environment. After cluster and deflector optimization, temperature uniformity, vortex airflow, and hot spots in the cluster are improved. SHI, RTI, and standard deviation of each cluster's average inlet air temperature are all closer to the ideal values.
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