The powerful Bitcoin mining rigs run 24/7 and produce massive amounts of heat from machines stacked on tall racks. These machines come in different sizes and vary depending on the target cryptocurrency. Bitcoin mining is mainly done with ASIC (chip) machines, with more powerful and efficient chips coming out every few months. The number of machines determines the amount of heat generated and exhausted from the data centers.
To optimize the performance of miners and avoid heat damage, the data center must have a designed ventilation system. The amount of ventilation air to be exhausted by bitcoin mining fans can be determined by the manufacturer providing a rate of discharge required. In a large data center, this means a constant flow of outside potentially filtered fresh air and an uninterrupted monitoring of the internal environment of the facility.
Whether the mining fans are designed in supply or exhaust mode, calculating resistance to airflow in, across, and out of the facility or container is critical. If resistance, or inches of static pressure, is not included in the fan selection, the actual airflow will be less than the design. This will ultimately lead to a redesign when miners fail or won’t run due to the heat increase and lack of flow rate.