[Beowulf] Thermals question

Mark Hahn hahn at mcmaster.ca
Wed Apr 23 11:22:47 PDT 2008


> This link has a lot of good information and might answer your question:
>
> http://www.mediarecovery.com/hot_topics/cooling_problems.php

as long as you're alert to the fact that it's an APC marketing document.
for instance:

 	It is unlikely that a traditional data center, with computer room air
 	conditioning (CRAC) units supplying airflow through a raised-floor plenum,
 	will be able to deliver a cooling capacity of more than 3 kW to any rack,
 	regardless of quantity and capacity of CRAC units and floor depth.

by "traditional", perhaps the author means "designed for < 3kW/rack",
but if so, the sentence implodes...

a traditional data center with a simple ~14" raised-floor and free-air return
can indeed cool >10 KW racks just fine.  the first few suggestions (maintain
your chillers, install blanking panels, tidy up your cables) are fine, and I
hope fairly obvious.  items 5-8 are all somewhat arguable.  interestingly, I
was worried about figure 10 (suction in tiles too near the chiller), but am
surprised that even as close as 6 feet from a high-velocity outflow, tile
flow is adequate and upward.  items 9,10 are just APC sales pitches.



More information about the Beowulf mailing list