AI adoption is transforming data centre design, driving significantly higher rack power densities and rapidly increasing power consumption. This evolution demands a greater number of air-cooled chillers, often installed on constrained rooftop spaces. As a result, chillers are now being arranged in denser configurations with reduced spacing, leading to multiple challenges that can reduce overall system performance.
A new paper authored by Priyatharsan Sachchithanantham discusses the growing importance of external computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in evaluating and optimising rooftop mechanical layouts for high-density data centres. It explores how CFD can identify problematic airflow patterns, quantify the risk of performance degradation, and guide informed design decisions.
The paper discusses the methodology used for external CFD analysis, including the development of accurate boundary conditions based on local climate data. It presents key simulation results highlighting airflow challenges around rooftop chillers in high-density data centres. Additionally, the paper explores practical mitigation measures—such as optimised chiller placement and wind barriers—that can be implemented to improve cooling performance and system reliability.
The paper has been published by AIRAH’s in Equilibrium Magazine, read it in full here.
AIRAH represents professionals and practitioners working in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) and building services industries. AIRAH’s mission is to lead an Australian HVAC&R industry that is highly skilled, safe and sustainable.
