Reduced-Order Model for Predicting Aerodynamic Performance of Dual Impeller Fans in Data Centre Cooling Systems

A reduced-order model (ROM) has been extended and applied to counter-rotating (CR) dual impeller fans commonly employed in cooling electronics enclosures of data centre systems. The model incorporates the actual rotor and stator geometry, and its accuracy was assessed against experimental fan performance ( P-Q) curve data, as well as compared with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. Additionally, the influences of stator and radial flow were explored through CFD simulations. The limitations of the ROM were further discussed. The ROM’s predictions exhibit favourable agreement with experimental and numerical findings, with normalised rootmean-square errors of 4.6% in the normal working region and 13.2% in the stall region. Notably, the ROM offers significant computational savings compared to CFD simulations, rendering it a valuable cost-effective tool for preliminary design, analysis, and optimisation of CR fans.