Eleven cooling systems for rack mounted computer equipment were evaluated and compared for their cooling effectiveness and their energy use. The cooling systems were of various designs but all were "close coupled" or "enclosed", and they all ultimately transferred heat to the building chilled water system. The types of cooling systems tested were: rack cooler with air to water heat exchanger, row type rack cooler with air to refrigerant or air to water heat exchanger, rack rear door passive cooler with air to refrigerant or air to water heat exchanger, a prototype direct touch cooling system using refrigerant, and a design consisting of a shipping container type enclosure cooled with chilled water.
Author(s): Coles, H.C.
LBNL Report Number: 6659