Systems and methods for predicting fluid dynamics in a data center

• US 9,223,905 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Dalgas, Mikkel, VanGilder, James W., Healey, Christopher, Johansen, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cothran, Bernard E
• Application Number:
  US13/194,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• 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 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A system and method for predicting airflow within a data center using a potential flow technique is provided. In one aspect, a method includes automatically generating an unstructured grid, the unstructured grid comprising a plurality of unstructured grid cells, each unstructured grid cell having a size, dividing a representation of the data center into the plurality of unstructured grid cells, determining airflow velocity values for each of the plurality of unstructured grid cells using airflow velocity potentials, determining a temperature value for each one of the plurality of the unstructured grid cells using the airflow velocity values, determining a concentration value for each of the plurality of the unstructured grid cells using the airflow velocity values, and calculating a comparison result indicating whether the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of the unstructured grid cells satisfy convergence criteria.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for predicting airflow within a data center using a potential flow technique, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, data representing a physical layout of at least one data center space;

generating, by the computer, at least one modeled data center space based on the received data;

automatically generating, by the computer, an unstructured grid within the at least one modeled data center space comprising a plurality of unstructured grid cells, each unstructured grid cell of the plurality of unstructured grid cells having a size;

determining, by the computer, airflow velocity values for each unstructured grid cell using airflow velocity potentials;

determining, by the computer, a temperature value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values;

determining, by the computer, a concentration value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values;

calculating, by the computer, a comparison result indicating whether the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of the unstructured grid cells satisfy convergence criteria;

generating a plurality of computational grid cells from the plurality of unstructured grid cells, wherein each computational grid cell of the plurality of computational grid cells has a first size and is associated with the determined airflow velocity value, the determined temperature value, and the determined concentration value;

dividing a subset of computational grid cells of the plurality of computational grid cells into a plurality of visualization cells, wherein each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells has a second size less than the first size of a computational grid cell that includes the visualization cell;

calculating, by the computer, a smoothed value for each visualization cell, wherein the smoothed value is at least one of a smoothed airflow velocity value, a smoothed temperature value, and a smoothed concentration value; and

displaying, by the computer, an indication of the smoothed value for each visualization cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the subset of computational grid cells into a plurality of visualization cells further includes:

classifying each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells as either a boundary cell or an interior cell based on a proximity of the visualization cell to at least one computational grid cell of the subset.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the smoothed value for each visualization cell includes determining a smoothed value for at least one boundary cell.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the smoothed value for the at least one boundary cell includes calculating a smoothed value based on an original value of an interior cell adjacent to the at least one boundary cell.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the smoothed value for the at least one boundary cell includes calculating a smoothed value based on the original value and a value of at least one other grid cell adjacent to the at least one boundary cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating the smoothed value for the at least one boundary cell includes calculating a weighted average of the original value and the value of the at least one other grid cell adjacent to the at least one boundary cell, whereby the smoothed value is between the original value and the value of the at least one other grid cell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the smoothed value for each visualization cell includes calculating at least one of a predicted airflow velocity value and a predicted temperature value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, in a graphical representation of the data center, at least one of the predicted airflow velocity value and the predicted temperature value in a visualization plane.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least one of the smoothed airflow velocity value, the smoothed temperature value, and the smoothed concentration value in a graphical representation of the data center superimposed over at least one of a plurality of racks and a plurality of coolers included in the at least one modeled data center space.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the comparison result further includes determining the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of unstructured grid cells using iterative methods.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating the comparison result further includes performing the iterative methods until the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values satisfy the convergence criteria, wherein the convergence criteria includes a difference between a total power value for racks and a load value for coolers, the racks and coolers being located in the data center.

12. A system for predicting airflow within a data center using a potential flow technique, the system comprising:

an interface; and

a controller coupled to the interface and configured to;

receive data representing a physical layout of at least one data center space;

generate at least one modeled data center space based on the received data;

automatically generate an unstructured grid within the at least one modeled data center space comprising a plurality of unstructured grid cells, each unstructured grid cell of the plurality of unstructured grid cells having a size;

determine airflow velocity values for each unstructured grid cell using airflow velocity potentials;

determine a temperature value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values;

determine a concentration value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values;

calculate a comparison result indicating whether the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of the unstructured grid cells satisfy convergence criteria;

generate a plurality of computational grid cells from the plurality of unstructured grid cells, wherein each computational grid cell of the plurality of computational grid cells has a first size and is associated with the determined airflow velocity value, the determined temperature value, and the determined concentration value;

divide a subset of computational grid cells of the plurality of computational grid cells into a plurality of visualization cells, wherein each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells has a second size less than the first size of a computational grid cell that includes the visualization cell;

calculate a smoothed value for each visualization cell, wherein the smoothed value is at least one of a smoothed airflow velocity value, a smoothed temperature value, and a smoothed concentration value; and

display an indication of the smoothed value for each visualization cell.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

classify each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells as either a boundary cell or an interior cell based on a proximity of the visualization cell to at least one computational grid cell of the subset.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a smoothed value for at least one boundary cell.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the smoothed value for the at least one boundary cell based on an original value of an interior cell adjacent to the at least one boundary cell.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the smoothed value for the at least one boundary cell based on the original value and a value of at least one other grid cell adjacent to the at least one boundary cell.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate a weighted average of the original value and the value of the at least one other grid cell adjacent to the at least one boundary cell, whereby the smoothed value is between the original value and the value of the at least one other grid cell.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the smoothed value for each visualization cell is at least one of a predicted airflow velocity value and a predicted temperature value.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the interface is further configured to display, in a graphical representation of the data center, at least one of the predicted airflow velocity value and the predicted temperature value in a visualization plane.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface is further configured to display at least one of the smoothed airflow velocity value, the smoothed temperature value, and the smoothed concentration value in a graphical representation of the data center, wherein the at least one of the smoothed airflow velocity value, the smoothed temperature value, and the smoothed concentration value is superimposed over at least one of a plurality of racks and a plurality of coolers included in the at least one modeled data center space.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the comparison result by determining the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of unstructured grid cells using iterative methods until the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values satisfy the convergence criteria, wherein the convergence criteria includes a difference between a total power value for racks and a load value for coolers, the racks and coolers being located in the data center.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction including instructions that will cause a processor to:

receive data representing a physical layout of at least one data center space;

generate at least one modeled data center space based on the received data;

automatically generate an unstructured grid within the at least one modeled data center space comprising a plurality of unstructured grid cells, each unstructured grid cell of the plurality of unstructured grid cells having a size;

determine airflow velocity values for each unstructured grid cell using airflow velocity potentials;

determine a temperature value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values;

determine a concentration value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values;

calculate a comparison result indicating whether the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of the unstructured grid cells satisfy convergence criteria;

generate a plurality of computational grid cells from the plurality of unstructured grid cells, wherein each computational grid cell of the plurality of computational grid cells has a first size and is associated with the determined airflow velocity value, the determined temperature value, and the determined concentration value;

divide a subset of computational grid cells of the plurality of computational grid cells into a plurality of visualization cells, wherein each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells has a second size less than the first size of a computational grid cell that includes the visualization cell;

calculate a smoothed value for each visualization cell, wherein the smoothed value is at least one of a smoothed airflow velocity value, a smoothed temperature value, and a smoothed concentration value; and

display an indication of the smoothed value for each visualization cell.