System and method for fluid dynamics prediction with an enhanced potential flow model

• US 10,157,245 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: VanGilder, James William, Healey, Christopher M., Zhang, Xuanhang
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez Rivas, Omar F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mapar, Bijan
• Application Number:
  US13/665,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/08 Thermal analysis or thermal optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20718 Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant in closed loop H05K7/20754
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

A system and method for modeling airflow and temperature are disclosed. In one example, the method includes receiving input data related to a physical layout of a facility, dividing, by a computer, a representation of the facility into a plurality of grid cells, identifying where effects of at least one of jet airflow, thermal plumes and buoyancy forces are present in the facility based on the physical layout, specifying a velocity value, using a velocity correction method, for a first set of the plurality of grid cells if the effects of at least one of jet airflow and thermal plumes are present within the first set of the plurality of grid cells, calculating, by the computer, an airflow velocity value for each of a second set of the plurality of grid cells, the second set being different from the first set, modifying the determined airflow velocity value for any of the second set of the plurality of grid cells where the effects of buoyancy forces are present, and storing, on a storage device, the modified airflow values.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling airflow, the method comprising:

receiving input data related to a physical layout of a facility;

dividing, by a computer, a representation of the facility into a plurality of grid cells;

identifying where airflow pattern effects of jet airflow, thermally-driven buoyant plumes surrounding at least one heat producing object, and buoyancy forces are present in the facility based on the input data related to the physical layout;

responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of jet airflow, calculating a jet airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within a first set of the plurality of grid cells that is influenced by the jet airflow based on a jet correction model;

responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of thermally-driven buoyant plumes surrounding at least one heat producing object, calculating an airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within the first set of the plurality of grid cells that is disposed adjacent to the at least one heat producing object based on a correction model, the correction model including determining a vertical airflow velocity component associated with ambient air heated by the at least one heat producing object to generate the thermally-driven buoyant plumes;

calculating, by the computer, an airflow velocity value for each of a second set of the plurality of grid cells using a potential flow model, the second set being different from the first set;

responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of buoyancy forces, calculating a buoyant airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells where the effects of the buoyancy forces are present, the calculated buoyant airflow velocity value based at least in part on a coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion and a temperature of a coldest air supplied to the facility;

modifying the calculated airflow velocity value of the at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells with the calculated buoyant airflow velocity values to correct for the airflow pattern effects from the buoyancy forces;

storing, on a storage device, the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value; and

controlling at least one of airflow associated with one or more cooling providers and power associated with one or more equipment racks in the facility based on at least one of the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises configuring equipment in the facility based on at least one of the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating, by the computer, a temperature value, based on at least one calculated airflow velocity value, for each of the second set of the plurality of grid cells.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facility includes a space in a data center and objects in the physical layout include at least one equipment rack, including the one or more equipment racks and at least one cooling provider, including the one or more cooling providers.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facility includes a space in a building and objects in the physical layout include at least one ventilation structure and at least one heat provider.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein modifying the calculated airflow velocity value of the at least one grid cell includes adding the calculated buoyant airflow velocity value to the calculated airflow velocity value for the at least one grid cell.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining new airflow velocity values for each of the at least one modified velocity value and each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, using an iterative method, wherein the new airflow velocity values satisfy a mass balance equation.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether differences between the new airflow velocity values and previous airflow velocity values are greater than a threshold; and

repeating the iterative method until the differences are not greater than the threshold.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the airflow velocity value of the first set of grid cells is based at least in part on a distance between the at least one grid cell and a floor of the facility.

9. A system for controlling airflow, the system including a memory and a processor coupled to the memory and being configured to:

receive input data related to a physical layout of a facility;

divide a representation of the facility into a plurality of grid cells;

identify where airflow pattern effects of jet airflow, thermally-driven buoyant plumes surrounding at least one heat producing object, and buoyancy forces are present in the facility based on the input data related to the physical layout;

calculate a jet airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within a first set of the plurality of grid cells that is influenced by the jet airflow based on a jet correction model responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of jet airflow;

calculate an airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within the first set of the plurality of grid cells that is disposed adjacent to the at least one heat producing object based on a correction model, the correction model including a determination of a vertical velocity component associated with ambient air heated by the at least one heat producing object to generate the thermally-driven buoyant plumes responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of thermally-driven buoyant plumes surrounding at least one heat producing object;

calculate by the computer, an airflow velocity value for each of a second set of the plurality of grid cells using a potential flow model, the second set being different from the first set;

calculate a buoyant airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells where the effects of the buoyancy forces are present responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of buoyancy forces, the calculated buoyant airflow velocity value based at least in part on a coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion and a temperature of a coldest air supplied to the facility;

modify the calculated airflow velocity value of the at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells with the calculated buoyant airflow velocity values to correct for the airflow pattern effects from the buoyancy forces;

store on a storage device, the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value; and

control at least one of airflow associated with one or more cooling providers and power associated with one or more equipment racks in the facility based on at least one of the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is further configured to configure equipment in the facility based on at least one of the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is further configured to calculate a temperature value, based on at least one calculated airflow velocity value, for each of the second set of the plurality of grid cells.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the facility includes a space in a data center and objects in the physical layout include at least one equipment rack, including the one or more equipment racks, and at least one cooling provider, including the one or more cooling providers.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the facility includes a space in a building and objects in the physical layout include at least one ventilation structure and at least one heat provider.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is further configured to modify the calculated airflow velocity value of the at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells by adding the calculated buoyant airflow velocity value to the calculated airflow velocity value for the at least one grid cell.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is further configured to calculate new airflow velocity values for each of the at least one modified velocity value and each calculated airflow value not subsequently modified, wherein the new airflow velocity values satisfy a mass balance equation.

18. The system according to claim 9, wherein the airflow velocity value of the first set of grid cells is based at least in part on a distance between the at least one grid cell and a floor of the facility.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for controlling airflow including instructions that will cause at least one processor to:

receive input data related to a physical layout of a facility;

divide a representation of the facility into a plurality of grid cells;

identify where airflow pattern effects of jet airflow, thermally-driven buoyant plumes surrounding at least one heat producing object, and buoyancy forces are present in the facility based on the input data related to the physical layout;

calculate a jet airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within a first set of the plurality of grid cells that is influenced by the jet airflow based on a jet correction model responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of jet airflow;

calculate an airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within the first set of the plurality of grid cells that is disposed adjacent to the at least one heat producing object based on a correction model, the correction model including a determination of a vertical airflow velocity component associated with ambient air heated by the at least one heat producing object to generate the thermally-driven buoyant plumes responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of thermally-driven buoyant plumes surrounding at least one heat producing object;

calculate by the computer, an airflow velocity value for each of a second set of the plurality of grid cells using a potential flow model, the second set being different from the first set;

calculate a buoyant airflow velocity value for at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells where the effects of the buoyancy forces are present responsive to identifying airflow pattern effects of buoyancy forces, the calculated buoyant airflow velocity value based at least in part on a coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion and a temperature of a coldest air supplied to the facility;

modify the calculated airflow velocity value of the at least one grid cell within the second set of the plurality of grid cells with the calculated buoyant airflow velocity values to correct for the airflow pattern effects from the buoyancy forces;

store on a storage device, the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value; and

control at least one of airflow associated with one or more cooling providers and power associated with one or more equipment racks in the facility based on at least one of the calculated jet airflow velocity values, the calculated airflow velocity values of the first set of grid cells, each calculated airflow velocity value not subsequently modified, and the at least one modified airflow velocity value.