Use of ducting to improve inlet air conditions for side-to-side airflow switches in data centers

Switches deployed in data centers often utilize side-to-side airflow cooling. This airflow pattern can cause heated exhaust air to flow to the inlet of adjacent equipment in open rack installations or re-circulate to the switch inlet in cabinet applications. Through the use of CFD and testing, ducting solutions have been developed that improve inlet air conditions for both open rack and cabinet applications. Additionally, the ducting solutions make the side-to-side airflow switches compatible with hot aisle/cold aisle layouts as well as air containment solutions.