Thermal design of a high-density server

Numerical simulation and experimental verification have yielded a high-density server concept dissipating a nameplate power of 700 W in a 1U (44.45 mm or 1.75 in) rack-mount form factor. Air-cooled thermal management is achieved through a ducted radial blower, conventional heatsinks, and a partitioned airflow management strategy. It is shown that design and optimization of the air mover system requires attention not only to pressure and flow characteristics, but also to flow distribution properties. Optimizing the system for flow and thermal performance is an iterative process, most easily done before major layout or architectural properties have been fixed. Close collaboration between thermal analysts, board layout engineers, and system architects has proven the most effective method for optimizing the complete server design.