ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0001-9218-5185

Graduation Semester and Year

2020

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Dereje Agonafer

Abstract

In recent years there has been a phenomenal increase in cloud computing, net-working, virtualization, and storage which has led to an increase in demand for data centers. To meet this demand, there is a need for the latest computing nodes which causes an increase in power consumption. The cooling system occupy almost 40% portion of total energy consumption. Per ASHRAE TC 9.9, IT equipment needs to operate within recommended and allowable temperatures and humidity zone based on the circumstances. As the inlet air temperature increases, fan power consumption increases too and the Central Processing Units (CPUs) and high heat-generating components inside each server need to operate at their respective reliable temperatures. Design modifications for duct and chassis can be made to lower the junction temperatures for maximum utilization of CPU and memory. In this study, parametric optimization was performed for improvements in the duct and chassis of an air-cooled server (Cisco C220 M3) to find a sweet spot between the trade-off of airflow rate and junction temperature. For this study, the server used is the 1U height server with 2 CPUs, 16 Dual In-line Memory (DIMMs), 1 Platform Controller Hub (PCH), and 5 hot-swappable 40 mm fans. Initially, the study discusses the improvements in the duct design to guide cooler air inside the server decreasing maximum surface temperatures of components. Later, the study involves vent opening on the sides of the chassis to add fresh cold air with the inlet air stream with the help of the new duct to further reduce the junction temperature. Parametrization was performed for the hole diameters, area of perforation, and operating RPM for fans while considering EMI best practices and following guidelines to avoid stress concentration on mounting rail and chassis. Overall, the study evaluates the new duct design and the redesigned chassis by showcasing the simulated results including the fan power consumption,temperatures of the components at different inlet air temperatures.

Keywords

EMI, Duct, Chasis, Server, Datacenter, Air cooling, Hold diameter, Free area ratio, CPU, DIMMs, ASHRAE, Cisco C220 M3s

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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