Many articles explain fan performance, and the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) is a great starting point for valuable publications. I would also point you to this post for another article that does a great job of explaining computer case ventilation. Crypto mining centers are large computer cases!
In simplest terms, fan performance is a relationship between air volume (CFM) and resistance to airflow (inches water gauge). When resistance goes up, the volume goes down, and vice versa. The attached curve shows a fan at 31,000 CFM and 0 inches WG will only produce 15,000 CFM at 1.5” WG. In a crypto space, we have resistance to flow in the form of intake louvers, dampers, air filters, and internal objects that resist flow. There must be enough air to cool the space, or we have overheating and lack of mining performance.
Hartzell-FLOW A02SH-366PB—STFMN3 Flow Curve
Now, let’s look at the economics; what the purchaser needs to know when comparing equipment costs. A crypto mining fan selected at 0 inches is less costly than a fan with resistance. We’ve learned we cannot move air through an enclosure at 0 inches, so we must know the resistance or static loss to purchase the correct fans that will remove heat and maintain the temperature in our space. From a purchasing standpoint, be careful, or you may pay outrageous money for the faulty equipment.
Cooling a crypto mining enclosure profitably is not difficult if you know what to look for when designing and purchasing equipment.
Cryptoming is efficient at cool temperatures, which require custom solutions with large air flow and fan performance.
