A walkthrough of the rack object: group size, airflow direction, average and per-server heat loads, gaps, and the alignment tools.
This video introduces the rack object used to model IT equipment, and the alignment tools for placing racks.
What the video shows
- Drag a rack into the room. Racks come in groups of equal size, with five per group by default. Height can be entered directly or in rack units.
- Airflow direction is shown by arrows, and a lighter arrow marks rack zero. A reverse flow option keeps the numbering correct when racks face the other way.
- The three rack types are front to rear, front to top, and front to rear to top. Front to top racks can take a chimney from the geometry tab.
- Racks are modeled as sealed systems: all air entering the front leaves the back, through an inlet and outlet the size of the rack, and the rack sits on the floor. The presenter calls this a good first-pass assumption.
- Racks are specified by heat load in kilowatts spread evenly over the height, with a temperature rise (20 degrees in the demo). Smaller temperature rises give higher flow rates.
- The individual rack tool opens a spreadsheet-style editor with one cell per slot. Servers can be given their own loads, and gaps can model unblanked or unsealed racks. Slots are numbered top to bottom, the reverse of most racks.
- Align racks in top view: select two, hold one still, and use the right-click menu to align fronts or backs and close gaps in X.
Tips
- Each server needs at least one watt, because the solver rejects zero.
- Aligned racks with no gaps help the mesh.