Data center metrology and measurement-based modeling methods

This chapter describes data center measurement systems and supporting modeling methods. The first part concerns techniques and systems for taking relevant physical measurements to characterize the environmental conditions in data centers. This includes a brief discussion about how design choices, for example, sensor placement, sensor density, and measurement frequency, depend on the supporting modeling approach. Wireless and wired sensing solutions and the role of internal and external sensors are addressed as well. The second part of the chapter deals with how these measurements can be utilized as inputs for subsequent heat transfer modeling in data centers. Two different modeling approaches are discussed, namely a simplified physics-based model (Laplacian model), where the measurements are used to provide the required boundary data, and a reduced order modeling approach using proper-orthogonal decomposition. Case studies for these two different techniques are presented.