Adaptable Robust Design of Multi-Scale Convective Systems Applied to Energy Efficient Data Centers

A design approach is presented to bring adaptability and robustness to multi-scale convective systems. The design method is centered on proper orthogonal decomposition-based reduced order thermal modeling, robust design principles, and the compromise decision support problem construct. The method application for an energy efficient air-cooled data center guarantees safe and robust operation over a 10-year period of increasing power dissipation. The data center traditional design consumes 14–85% more energy than the adaptable design over the 10 years. A robust solution is also found to reduce the variability in the thermal response by 80% compared with an optimal solution.