Steady state CFD modeling of an IT pod and its cooling system

Modular data centers are increasingly being developed instead of using large data centers to save huge amount of capital investment. High energy efficiency is a priority and measures have been taken to increase it. Cooling techniques such as air-side economization and evaporative cooling are proving to be some of those very effective measures. An Information Technology (IT) pod cooled by an indirect/ direct evaporative cooling unit is the prime focus of this paper. CFD modeling helps to resolve cooling problems and predict inefficiencies in modular data centers. For existing data centers, CFD modeling is used to identify the cooling issues and explore various cooling improvements without risking the operation of the data center. In this paper, CFD analysis is performed to study the airflow pattern and temperature distribution inside the modular data center and the cooling unit. Study reveals significant increase in supply temperature due to solar loading on the supply duct.