Effect of under-floor blockages and perforated tile openings on the performance of raised-floor data centres

Computer and telecommunication equipment are most commonly housed in raised-floor data centre facilities. Cold air is delivered into the facility via perforated tiles and air must be distributed properly to adequately cool the equipment. The airflow distribution depends mainly on the pressure distribution or the flow field in the space under the raised-floor which again depends on many other factors such as the plenum size, percentage opening of perforated tiles, the locations and flow rates of the computer room air conditioner (CRAC) units, and the size and location of the under-floor obstructions like cables and pipes. In this article, the effect of position of the under-floor blockages and percentage opening of perforated tile are studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results provide an understanding of the fundamental fluid mechanical processes controlling the airflow distribution through the perforated tiles and help the facility designer to rearrange the blockages and improve the thermal performance without altering the layout or cold air supply.