Distribution of cooling airflow in a raised-floor data center

For reliable operation of computer equipment in a data center, adequate cooling air must be supplied to the equipment. The distribution of cooling air through the perforated tiles in a raised-floor data center is governed by the fluid mechanics of the underfloor space. The pressure variation in that space is shown to be the cause of nonuniform distribution of airflow. The various factors that influence the distribution are discussed. The effect of floor height and tile open area is illustrated
through the results for a simple configuration. The use of variable tile open area and other issues are also discussed. Calculated distributions of airflow rates are used to explain some of the observed behavior in data centers on the basis of fluid mechanics principles.