DAta Center Damage Boundaries

Numerical modeling of data centers was introduced nearly 10 years ago and has become ubiquitous in the industry. Aside from computational fluid dynamics, a number of alternative approaches have been investigated to reduce model runtime while maintaining accuracy. Less attention, however, has been paid to utilizing the output of such tools to assess the availability and operational margin of IT equipment in a conditioned environment. This paper introduces a new technique called Data Center Damage Boundary that is derived from fragility analysis techniques used in military applications to further understand the limitations of a particular data center´s environmental control infrastructure. Using the methodology described herein, Damage Boundaries are defined that establish safe operating regimes for IT equipment within a given data center thermal environment. From this information the thermal capacity of a given region of influence within a data center can be determined, regions of inefficient operation can be identified, and the proximity of equipment within a zone to its damage boundary can be evaluated. Furthermore, the information can help save energy by operating the data center at a higher server inlet temperature, improve utilization of capital-intensive air-conditioning resources, reduce excessive redundancy, and thus lead to a lower total cost of ownership. This paper will introduce the method and demonstrate its use by applying it to the results of a computational fluid dynamics model.