Learning Goals
Students will be able to define the data center cooling problem by identifying criteria and constraints for temperature control, airflow, energy use, cost, maintenance, and reliability.
Students will be able to break the data center cooling system into manageable subsystems for investigation and design.
Students will be able to analyze technical texts, site notes, diagrams, and maintenance logs to extract relevant information about cooling equipment and operational risks.
Students will be able to build and use domain-specific HVAC and data center vocabulary to communicate design ideas precisely.
Students will be able to collect and analyze temperature, airflow, and heat-load data to determine whether a cooling concept meets performance criteria.
Students will be able to use a computer simulation or spreadsheet model to test proposed cooling solutions under changing heat loads and compare outcomes.
Students will be able to evaluate competing cooling designs using cost-benefit reasoning, maintenance demands, and reliability trade-offs.
Students will be able to communicate a feasible data center cooling recommendation in a professional format for technicians and community stakeholders.
Products
Engineering Design Notebook and Cooling Concept Memo
Each student produces an annotated design notebook with at least two original cooling concepts, a decision matrix, data analysis, and a one-page memo defending the strongest option. The work must show how evidence from readings, site notes, and test data informed the student’s recommendation.
Tested Data Center Cooling Prototype and Technical Presentation
Teams build and revise a working small-scale cooling prototype or a practical cooling-guidelines system, then present results with performance data, trade-off analysis, maintenance considerations, and limitations. The final presentation must show how individual ideas were evaluated and combined into a team solution.
No rubric has been generated yet.