Optimization of structural design of the deflector in the supply air cold aisle of data centers

Abstract

A deflector installed on the side of the cold aisle was proposed to address the issue of poor air distribution uniformity in the vertical direction of the underfloor air supply cold aisle of the closed data center. The orthogonal experimental method was employed to investigate the three factors (height, shape, roughness) and four levels (height:2/2.1/ 2.2/2.3 m; shapes:flat panel, curved panel, equal step height, equal airflow step; surface roughness:smooth, rough, ribbed) of the deflector. Two thermal performance evaluation indicators, the return heat index (IRH) and the return temperature index (IRT) of the supply air, were calculated through numerical simulation for each experimental group. The range analysis method was used to determine the influence weight of each factor, and further numerical simulation analysis was conducted to verify the optimal structural combination of the deflector. The results indicate that the geometric shape of the deflector is the main factor affecting the thermal performance of the data center, followed by roughness and height size, which have the smallest impact. The IRH of the optimal structural combination is 0.372, and the IRT is 1.69, indicating that it has a good optimization effect on the vertical uniformity of the airflow organization in the data center. When setting up deflectors in practical engineering, priority can be given to curved surfaces.

Keywords

• data center
• airflow organization
• cold aisle containment
• deflector