A Review of Thermal and Mechanical Design Challenges in Modern Data Centers

Abstract

Thermal and mechanical design concerns in modern data centers are getting the highest priority due to increasing density and intensity of the IT work. The three-level network topology that was in existence in the past would not accommodate the modern east-west traffic, and this has led to the use of spine-leaf (Clos) topologies that offer low-latency, high-bandwidth, and scalability. The lack of uniform time-varying loads of high-density IT equipment makes thermal management even more difficult and needs advanced cooling solutions such as (but not confined to) airflow optimization, liquid cooling, and modular designs. The mechanical design must be in such a way that it provides structural integrity, use space efficiently, reduces vibration and also reduces noise as well as scalable and reliable cooling infrastructure. Efficiency, maintainability, and adaptability are the three metrics used to compare room, row, and rack-based cooling solutions. Combining the multidisciplinary thermal and mechanical aspects with the scalability of network architecture is also required to make the aspects of component reliability, operational efficiency, and energy performance sustainable in the current data centers. It is an integrated design of high-performance, durable and economical facilities.