高性能科学计算通常涉及许多紧密连接的处理器“集群”。这会导致紧密压实区域的高能量耗散，从而产生高热强度。随着这些“机器”的不断发展，冷却需求变得更具挑战性，与典型建筑相比，总电力需求更像大型工业设施。使暖通空调设计更加复杂的是，这些计算机可能设计用于空气或液体冷却。一个新的计算设施在加利福尼亚大学，伯克利，CA是这样一个中心，它被设计为适应空气或液体冷却。本文描述了该中心独特的设计特点，其目标包括成为高性能计算模型和能效展示。 伯克利温和的气候提供了一个理想的机会，通过使用免费冷却将能源消耗降至最低，但传统的数据中心方法无法充分利用温和的气候来节约能源。描述了一种利用外部空气进行冷却的设计，每年只有几百个小时。但除此之外，还希望在各种可能的配置中提供最终向液体冷却的过渡。还描述了这种能力。单位:双引文:ASHRAE交易，第115卷，第。2、路易斯维尔2009

High Performance Scientific Computing typically involves many "clusters" of processors that are close connected. This results in high energy dissipation in tightly compacted areas creating high heat intensity. As these "machines" continue to evolve, cooling requirements become more challenging and the total electrical power requirements more resemble large industrial facilities than typical buildings. Compounding the complexity of the HVAC design is the fact that these computers may be designed for air or liquid cooling. A new computational facility under design for the University of California in Berkeley, CA is such a center that is being designed to accommodate either air or liquid cooling.This paper describes the unique design features of this center whose goals included both being a model of high performance computing and a showcase for energy efficiency. The mild climate in Berkeley provides an ideal opportunity to minimize energy use through the use of free cooling but traditional data center approaches could not fully take advantage of the mild climate to save energy. A design that utilizes outside air for cooling for all but a few hundred hours per year is described. But in addition, there was a desire to provide for the eventual transition to liquid cooling–in various possible configurations. This capability is also described.Units: Dual