×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Airflow needed to keep server room cool?
2

Airflow needed to keep server room cool?

Airflow needed to keep server room cool?

(OP)
I have a closet that will house the servers for our company.  I would like to keep the closet cool using the air from the office and would like to know what kind of a fan I'll need.


Room size: 5ft x 13ft x 8ft(if that matters)

Heat generated by equipment P = I x V = 15A x 120V ~ 2000W (6 computers, 2 UPS’s, 8 network switches)

Input air temperature: 75ºF (average summertime office temperature)

Desired maximum room temperature: 90ºF

What CFM airflow is needed?

Just looking for a rough estimate.  Thanks for your help!

RE: Airflow needed to keep server room cool?

BTU = 1.04 x CFM x (90 - 75)

Convert your heat generation from watts to BTU.  Any monitors?

Don't forget that the air has to be able to leave the room.

RE: Airflow needed to keep server room cool?

Good old Q=mc DT

Q=2kW
m=mass flow rate kg/sec
C=SHC specific heat capacity 1.01kJ/kGK
DT=temp differential  (90-75=15F or about 8C)

mass flow of air = 2/1.01x8  = 0.247kg/sec (approx due to temp round up)

Density = mass/vol    vol = mass/density

so 0.247/1.205=0.20m3/sec

200 litres/sec of air

a simple wall fan like a 12" Vent Axia would do it but as mintjulep says, what goes in must come out, so you will also need an air relief grille or another fan.


Friar Tuck of Sherwood

RE: Airflow needed to keep server room cool?

(OP)
Its nice to have a consistency check.  It occurred to me that the air conditioner that is in the current room is 7200 BTU so that capacity is what I'm matching.

mintjulep's formula yields ~500 cfm which is consistent with your result.

Thanks for the help!

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources