Simulation and Digital Twins in Data Center Design and Operation

A digital twin is a virtual replica of a building, such as a data center, that will offer comprehensive simulations of how it will perform and operate throughout its life, whether planned or already built.Though still in their early stages, digital twins provide a means for companies to build data centers more effectively and sustainably from the outset.

Firms can optimize how their facility is built, understand how it will function, and identify possible problems using these full digital doppelgängers before a single server is deployed.Companies can use simulation software to predict, visualize, and quantify the effect of every change in their data center before implementing it.

While such simulation software offers potential advantages for continuing operations of existing data centers, it also enables businesses to understand how their facilities will operate in the real world. Companies can improve data center designs by optimizing hardware layout, power and cooling, and airflow. It is even possible to adjust the positioning of solar panels on buildings.Before the foundations of a facility are built, firms can identify possible problems such as hotspots or fire hazards.

A major advantage of a digital twin is that it incorporates physics such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD); liquids, gases, and temperatures in 3D spaces are brought into the image, providing the company with a far more detailed perspective of how a data center will behave.

When coupled with virtual or augmented reality technologies, a digital twin can show buildings in their full glory before construction and assist in the development process.