Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier

David W. Salter; Eoin H.Oude Essink; Tim Persoons; Sajad Alimohammadi

doi:10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696

Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier

David W. Salter
, Eoin H.Oude Essink
, Tim Persoons
, Sajad Alimohammadi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

This paper details a computational investigation of the cooling capability of an adjustable air amplifier as part of a wider study to improve the energy efficiency of next generation data centres. This paper aims to expand the understanding of the device by analysing variations in parameters such as inlet cavity pressure, while also verifying and validating a numerical model of the device. A heated foil was placed in a polycarbonate flow channel, designed to replicate the dimensions of an Intel S2600TP blade server to allow the device's cooling capability to be investigated experimentally under different inlet cavity pressures. The conditions were then replicated in a numerical model using Ansys Fluent, and the results of both the numerical and the experimental measurements were compared to determine the validity of the numerical model. The numerical results followed the same trends as the experimental measurements with deviations as low as 12% reported, therefore validating the model. This study highlights the potential for air amplifiers in data centre cooling applications which could improve their energy efficiency through alternative cooling methods.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025
Publisher	IEEE Computer Society
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331524289
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025 - Dallas, United States Duration: 27 May 2025 → 30 May 2025

Publication series

Name	InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM
ISSN (Print)	1936-3958

Conference

Conference	24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025
Country/Territory	United States
City	Dallas
Period	27/05/25 → 30/05/25

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

air cooling
CFD
Data centres
electronics cooling
heat transfer

Access to Document

10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696

Cite this

Salter, D. W., Essink, E. H. O., Persoons, T., & Alimohammadi, S. (2025). Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier. In Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025 (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM). IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696

Salter, David W. ; Essink, Eoin H.Oude ; Persoons, Tim et al. / Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier. Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025. IEEE Computer Society, 2025. (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM).

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title = "Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier",

abstract = "This paper details a computational investigation of the cooling capability of an adjustable air amplifier as part of a wider study to improve the energy efficiency of next generation data centres. This paper aims to expand the understanding of the device by analysing variations in parameters such as inlet cavity pressure, while also verifying and validating a numerical model of the device. A heated foil was placed in a polycarbonate flow channel, designed to replicate the dimensions of an Intel S2600TP blade server to allow the device's cooling capability to be investigated experimentally under different inlet cavity pressures. The conditions were then replicated in a numerical model using Ansys Fluent, and the results of both the numerical and the experimental measurements were compared to determine the validity of the numerical model. The numerical results followed the same trends as the experimental measurements with deviations as low as 12\% reported, therefore validating the model. This study highlights the potential for air amplifiers in data centre cooling applications which could improve their energy efficiency through alternative cooling methods.",

keywords = "air cooling, CFD, Data centres, electronics cooling, heat transfer",

author = "Salter, \{David W.\} and Essink, \{Eoin H.Oude\} and Tim Persoons and Sajad Alimohammadi",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 IEEE.; 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025 ; Conference date: 27-05-2025 Through 30-05-2025",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696",

language = "English",

series = "InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM",

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Salter, DW, Essink, EHO, Persoons, T & Alimohammadi, S 2025, Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier. in Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025. InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM, IEEE Computer Society, 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025, Dallas, United States, 27/05/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696

Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier. / Salter, David W.; Essink, Eoin H.Oude; Persoons, Tim et al.
Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025. IEEE Computer Society, 2025. (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier

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AU - Essink, Eoin H.Oude

AU - Persoons, Tim

AU - Alimohammadi, Sajad

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - This paper details a computational investigation of the cooling capability of an adjustable air amplifier as part of a wider study to improve the energy efficiency of next generation data centres. This paper aims to expand the understanding of the device by analysing variations in parameters such as inlet cavity pressure, while also verifying and validating a numerical model of the device. A heated foil was placed in a polycarbonate flow channel, designed to replicate the dimensions of an Intel S2600TP blade server to allow the device's cooling capability to be investigated experimentally under different inlet cavity pressures. The conditions were then replicated in a numerical model using Ansys Fluent, and the results of both the numerical and the experimental measurements were compared to determine the validity of the numerical model. The numerical results followed the same trends as the experimental measurements with deviations as low as 12% reported, therefore validating the model. This study highlights the potential for air amplifiers in data centre cooling applications which could improve their energy efficiency through alternative cooling methods.

AB - This paper details a computational investigation of the cooling capability of an adjustable air amplifier as part of a wider study to improve the energy efficiency of next generation data centres. This paper aims to expand the understanding of the device by analysing variations in parameters such as inlet cavity pressure, while also verifying and validating a numerical model of the device. A heated foil was placed in a polycarbonate flow channel, designed to replicate the dimensions of an Intel S2600TP blade server to allow the device's cooling capability to be investigated experimentally under different inlet cavity pressures. The conditions were then replicated in a numerical model using Ansys Fluent, and the results of both the numerical and the experimental measurements were compared to determine the validity of the numerical model. The numerical results followed the same trends as the experimental measurements with deviations as low as 12% reported, therefore validating the model. This study highlights the potential for air amplifiers in data centre cooling applications which could improve their energy efficiency through alternative cooling methods.

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KW - CFD

KW - Data centres

KW - electronics cooling

KW - heat transfer

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:105029521867

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BT - Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025

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Y2 - 27 May 2025 through 30 May 2025

ER -

Salter DW, Essink EHO, Persoons T, Alimohammadi S. Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier. In Proceedings of the 24th InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITherm 2025. IEEE Computer Society. 2025. (InterSociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, ITHERM). doi: 10.1109/ITherm55376.2025.11235696

Computational Investigation of the Thermal Performance of an Adjustable Air Amplifier

Abstract

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Conference

UN SDGs

Keywords

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