Complaints versus compliance: Engineering noise and airflow solutions for air-cooled chillers in data centers

Air-cooled chillers (ACC) are essential to data center operations but present challenges in balancing acoustical performance, airflow efficiency, and structural constraints. This session examines the interplay between compliance and community complaints, focusing on downstream risks such as schedule delays, legal exposure, and cost overruns. It explores engineering approaches to mitigate noise, address airflow limitations—including static pressure effects and re-entrainment—and optimize thermal and energy performance. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, we evaluate airflow patterns, including dispersion and diffusion, to assess their impact on system performance and noise propagation. The session highlights structural considerations for equipment selection, site layouts, and retrofits, demonstrating how proactive design strategies can mitigate permitting delays and reduce complaints. Attendees will gain insight into integrating noise control measures with airflow and thermal performance requirements to de-risk projects while achieving compliance and reliability in demanding data center environments.