Applied Math Modeling Inc., a leading provider of data center design optimization software, announced the immediate availability of a new add-in for AutoCAD that allows users to set up and export data center designs directly from AutoCAD to the CoolSim data center CFD modeling application.
In addition to direct geometry transfer, users are also able to define the object type, airflow direction, as well as load parameters including IT rack power consumption and CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioner) cooling capacity within the AutoCAD application. To view a demonstration of this new addin, please use this link.
“Many of our CoolSim users utilize AutoCAD to record the layout of their data centers. With this new CoolSim for AutoCAD add-in, AutoCAD users can now define the object type, airflow direction, and thermal loads on their existing AutoCAD drawings. The AutoCAD data can then be exported directly to CoolSim for downstream thermal analysis” said Paul Bemis, CEO of Applied Math Modeling.
“This speeds up the overall CFD modeling process significantly by eliminating the tedious task of rebuilding the model within the CFD analysis tool.”
CoolSim add-in for AutoCAD features:
● Room definition including height, supply plenum, and ceiling return plenum definitions.
● CRAC definitions including height, airflow direction, and cooling capacity parameters.
● IT rack definitions including height, airflow direction, and thermal load.
● Perforated tile definitions including percent area open parameters.
● PDU (Power Distribution Unit) definitions including height and thermal load.
● The ability to define underfloor cable trays or airflow obstacles such as underfloor beams.
“From the beginning, CoolSim was designed to deliver industry leading price/performance while providing outstanding ease-of-use so users don’t have to climb a steep learning curve,” said Bemis.
“CoolSim for AutoCAD continues this tradition by greatly speeding up the CFD model building process, allowing the geometry and respective parameters to be defined and extracted directly from AutoCAD. For companies that like to use AutoCAD as their geometric data representation, this new add-in is a significant time saver.”
Once built, the CoolSim model is automatically submitted to a hosted high-performance computing (HPC) cluster for processing using ANSYS/FLUENT (CFD) technology. After the simulation is complete, HTML output reports and 3D visual images are produced and sent to the user. This mechanism allows users to perform multiple “what-if” studies of their data centers to determine the optimal placement of existing equipment, evaluate new or alternative designs, or visualize the effect of adding new equipment to an existing data center.
