EcoStruxure IT Advisor CFD Quick-Start Guide

Introduction
EcoStruxure IT Advisor CFD (ITA CFD for short) is web/cloud-based software for the design and optimization of
data center cooling. Keeping IT equipment cool (and minimizing energy consumption) comes down to effectively
managing airflow patterns in the data center which can only be predicted by CFD – Computational Fluid Dynamics.
Because ITA CFD utilizes unique CFD algorithms which are executed on high-end GPU hardware in the cloud, it is
1-2 orders of magnitude faster than traditional CFD. As with other CFD tools, predictions are based on solving
equations derived from the concepts of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. However, ITA CFD offers
higher accuracy than other tools in most cases because it automatically includes complex physics specific to data-
center cooling applications. This built-in intelligence makes ITA CFD easy to use and ensures that all users get the
same high-quality results regardless of their experience level. No knowledge of CFD or an engineering background
is required to accurately model standard cooling architectures. However, those with more experience and relevant
technical background will be able to apply it to confidently to more unique and complex applications.

This guide provides a short introduction to ITA CFD to help new users get started. However, the best way to learn
ITA CFD is by practice; experiment with all of the functionality! For additional information, please contact
[email protected] or sign up for an ITA CFD training session.

Creating and Saving a Project

You can create a new project from the default project (which loads automatically when you launch ITA CFD), one of
your own existing projects, one of the many “Reference Projects” (see figure below), or from scratch (File/New). If
you are a new user, you may find it particularly helpful to start from a Reference Project which is similar to the
application you intend to model. You should give your project a new name (File/Rename). When you save a project
(File/Save), the *.json file is sent to your web browser “downloads” folder.

Location of Reference Projects

Manipulating and Viewing a Project

While the tool loads with models in a 2D plan view, it is a full 3D design tool. Use the Manipulate/View button bar to
toggle between the left-mouse-button functions: select, pan, rotate, and zoom. Use the View button to select one of
the standard 2D views.

Manipulate/View Toolbar
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While the left-click manipulation options are convenient, for example, when using a touchpad, we recommend a 3-
button mouse with scroll wheel. In that case, you may remain in Select Mode (Select icon highlighted as shown
below) and access pan, rotate, and zoom functions as follows:

Mouse-Button Options (in Select Mode)

Option Mouse Button

Select Left
Pan Middle
Rotate Right
Zoom Scroll Wheel

Room Settings

All settings for the Room and all objects are available in the Property Pane on the right. When no objects are
selected, the Room Property pane will be visible.

Property Pane

Use the settings in the Property Pane to size the room as desired and add dropped-ceiling and raised-floor
plenums (if relevant). ITA CFD automatically adjusts the air density to account for the specified elevation of the data
center.

If you have a non-rectangular room, you can block-out the unwanted volume using Blocks. See relevant Reference
Projects as examples.

Adding Equipment

Add equipment to the room using the Equipment Menu ( ). Once you select an equipment type, you can (left-
mouse) click to add multiple instances of that type of equipment anywhere in the room. When you are done, click
anywhere in the white background around the model or click “Esc”.

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 Equipment Menu

All equipment settings are made via the Property Pane which is visible whenever an object is selected. There are
many objects that can be added to an ITA CFD project, we briefly discuss the most basic/frequently used objects
below.

IT Racks

IT Racks are present in almost every project. Although the IT Rack model is simple to use, it models complex
physics like recirculation and leakage flow inside the rack. This provides high accuracy in any context, e.g., open
environment, containment, in the presence of strong airflow jets, when the rear of a rack is placed against a wall,
etc.

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 IT Rack Menu

Coolers

Coolers are most-often modeled using the Row Cooler, Downflow Cooler, Downflow Cooler Front Discharge,
Upflow Cooler Front Discharge, and Fan Wall equipment models.

However, Custom Cooler Groups may be constructed from Cooler Supply and Return terminals (and other objects)
to model cooling units in more detail and/or with advanced features.

Perforated Floor Tiles

Perforated Floor Tiles, like IT Racks, are simple to use but model complex airflow physics for high accuracy. Real
data center perforated tiles (or any porous flow resistance) exhibit a high velocity and low-pressure region
immediately downstream of the tile. ITA CFD models this and other related physics automatically with no additional
action required by the user.

Containment

Containment objects are six-sided empty boxes which automatically recognize when cooler or IT Rack faces are
aligned with its faces. They may be used to model all types of containment including cold-aisle, hot-aisle, and row-
based containment.

Note that, in addition to the Containment object, downflow coolers and IT Racks may be ducted to a dropped ceiling
– automatically using the “Ducted” option in their respective Property Pane menus.

Editing Objects
The Object Creation/Editing menu can be used to add equipment, duplicate objects, rotate objects 90° about their
corner, rotate objects 180° about their center, group/ungroup, show/hide, and nudge. “Nudge” moves an object a
small amount (50 mm/2in) in any of the three coordinate directions.

Object Creation/Editing Menu

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Analyzing and Assessing Results
Click “Analyze” to initiate the cloud based CFD analysis. Depending mainly on the physical size of your project, the
analysis may take a few seconds to a few minutes. When the analysis is complete, solution data is available for
assessment. You should ensure that the CFD analysis is “good” ( ) or, at least “marginal” ( ) before accepting
the analysis as valid. Never rely on a “bad” ( ) analysis to inform engineering design decisions!

Dashboard with CFD Analysis Assessment

Once a project is validly “analyzed”, the Cooling Check placed on the top of all (non-zero power) IT Racks rates
cooling performance as “good”, “marginal”, or “bad”. Use the mouse hover-over menu to show more detail for IT
Racks and other objects. Other results including temperature, pressure, speed, velocity vectors, and perforated-tile
airflow rate are available from the Results Toolbar.

Results Toolbar

When creating a visualization plane (for temperature, pressure, speed, or velocity vectors), you can use the slider
bar to move the plane in any of the three coordinate directions. You can then use your mouse as a probe; the
specific computed value at the position of the mouse is shown under the color legend.

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 Results Toolbar

Additional project and results summary information is available in a spreadsheet format from (File/Export Report).

Basics of Data Center Cooling

The primary challenge in data center cooling is ensuring that the temperature entering all IT equipment is
maintained below a temperature threshold. ITA CFD uses a temperature threshold of 27°C (80.6°F) consistent with
ASHRAE guidelines. Note that the inlet temperature is the only temperature that is important to the IT equipment as
IT equipment cooling is dominated by the airflow stream passing through the equipment. Unlike general room
ventilation for human occupants, data center temperatures are intentionally segregated into cold and warm zones;
mixing and recirculation is undesirable.

Ensuring that sufficiently cool air is delivered to IT inlets comes down to properly managing airflow patterns.
Cooling performance is almost always limited by key airflow patterns around and inside of IT racks rather than an
absolute cooling capacity, e.g., in kW. ITA CFD provides several metrics to help evaluate these airflow patterns.
The internal-rack metrics (Recirculation, IT Exhaust to Rack Rear, and IT Exhaust to Rack Top) are included in the
Cooling Check evaluation displayed on the top of each IT Rack. The Inlet and Exhaust Capture Indices measure
how well cooling airflow is delivered to the IT inlets and how warm exhaust air is captured from IT exhausts.

IT Rack Hover-Over menu

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If you are unfamiliar with standard data center layouts, you can use the Reference Projects as examples. One final
tip… you generally need as much or more cooling airflow than there is IT airflow. The Global Air Ratio is the ratio of
total cooling to IT airflow and you generally want this number to be greater than 1. The closer you can get to 1, the
less cooling fan power energy is required.

Dashboard with Global Air Ratio