Mechanical Engineer – CFD, Thermal Simulation & Acoustics

GTN Technical Staffing; Dallas (TX); Presencial; USD 140.000 - 210.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

GTN Technical Staffing seeks a Mechanical Engineer to model and validate the thermal, fluid, structural, and acoustic performance of advanced data center infrastructure using CFD, FEA, and transient simulations.

You will develop 3D CFD models for data halls, optimize containment, and evaluate cooling for high-density GPU clusters. Collaborate with Mechanical, Structural, Piping, Controls, and Commissioning teams to turn results into practical design recommendations.

Formación

• ABET-accredited Mechanical Engineering degree or equivalent.
• 7–10+ years of mechanical or thermal engineering experience, incl. data hall CFD.
• Proficiency with CFD platforms: ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+ or 6SigmaDCX/Future Facilities.
• Proficiency with FEA tools: ANSYS Mechanical or Abaqus.
• Experience validating CFD/FEA results with measurements and commissioning data.
• Strong communication and ability to translate analysis into design guidance.

Responsabilidades

• Develop 3D CFD models to evaluate data hall airflow, temperature, velocity and pressure drop.
• Optimize hot/cold aisle containment to meet PUE targets and cooling performance.
• Model exhaust plumes from cooling towers, chiller plants, and turbine equipment.
• Perform thermal analysis of cold plates and microchannel heat exchangers.
• Model immersion cooling and CDU-related thermal behavior.
• Assess acoustic emissions and noise propagation from equipment.
• Maintain validated CFD/FEA models and a reusable simulation library.
• Communicate operating limits and design recommendations to cross-functional teams.

Conocimientos

CFD modeling

Containment modeling

Data hall airflow

Thermal analysis

Acoustics modeling

FEA analysis

Communication of results

Educación

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Herramientas

ANSYS Fluent

Siemens STAR-CCM+

6SigmaDCX/Future Facilities

ANSYS Mechanical

Abaqus

Descripción del empleo

Mechanical Engineer – CFD, Thermal Simulation & Acoustics

Overview

Our client, a growing high-performance computing and cloud infrastructure company, is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to model and validate the thermal, fluid, structural, and acoustic performance of advanced data center infrastructure.

This hands-on role uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and transient thermal simulation to guide engineering decisions before construction and verify performance against operating conditions.

The scope spans data hall airflow, high-density GPU cooling, liquid cooling systems, equipment exhaust, mechanical integrity, and noise control. Projects may also include self-powered campuses with on-site gas turbine generation, where turbine inlet cooling and system ride‑through performance directly affect campus capacity and reliability.

Working with Mechanical, Structural, Piping, Controls, and Commissioning teams, this engineer will turn simulation results into practical design recommendations and maintain a calibrated model library that improves with each project.

Key Responsibilities

Data Hall Airflow & Thermal Performance

• Develop 3D CFD models to evaluate airflow distribution, temperature, velocity, and pressure drop within data halls.
• Optimize hot- and cold-aisle containment to reduce hot spots, improve cooling effectiveness, and support facility Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) targets.
• Evaluate cooling performance for multi-megawatt server clusters and high-density GPU environments.
• Model exhaust plumes from cooling towers, chiller plants, and turbine equipment to identify recirculation risks at building and equipment air intakes.
• Translate modeling results into actionable recommendations for equipment placement, containment, and cooling design.
• Perform thermal analysis of cold plates and microchannel heat exchangers supporting high-power CPUs and GPUs.
• Model immersion cooling behavior, including fluid convection, boiling, and dielectric fluid performance.
• Evaluate liquid‑to‑liquid Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) approach temperatures and heat‑transfer performance.
• Support technical reviews of CDU, fan wall, and Computer Room Air Handler (CRAH) submittals when performance or design assumptions require validation.
• Simulate water hammer and pressure surges to assess piping, joint, and system response.

Mechanical Integrity & Structural Analysis

• Use FEA to assess thermal expansion, contraction, and fatigue in piping, CDUs, and heat exchangers.
• Partner with Structural Engineering to evaluate seismic loads on mechanical equipment supports.
• Identify mechanical risks associated with sustained temperature cycling, fluid forces, and transient operating conditions.
• Recommend design changes where modeled stresses or operating responses challenge the proposed design.
• Model acoustic emissions and noise propagation from cooling towers, chiller plants, fan walls, and turbine equipment.
• Evaluate enclosures, silencers, and vibration isolation strategies.
• Provide recommendations to reduce equipment noise impacts on server halls and surrounding areas.
• Coordinate acoustic assumptions and mitigation recommendations with the relevant engineering disciplines.

Turbine Inlet Cooling & Climate Analysis

• Model turbine inlet air chilling performance using site‑specific climate data.
• Evaluate psychrometric assumptions affecting cooling demand and generation capacity.
• Compare manufacturer capacity studies with ASHRAE climate design data.
• Identify material differences in humidity, dry‑bulb temperature, and other assumptions that could affect expected performance.
• Run transient simulations to evaluate thermal ride‑through and system response following chiller, pump, row fan, or turbine failures.
• Use results to inform Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and controls fail‑safe strategies.
• Assess failure consequences for self‑powered campuses operating without utility grid backup.
• Communicate operating limits, recovery windows, and design recommendations to Controls and infrastructure teams.
• Partner with commissioning teams to collect temperature, pressure, and airflow measurements during Level 4/5 testing.
• Compare predicted and measured performance, investigate discrepancies, and calibrate model inputs and boundary conditions.
• Maintain validated CFD/FEA models and a reusable simulation library across the campus portfolio.
• Document assumptions, methods, limitations, and conclusions clearly for engineers who are not simulation specialists.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from an ABET‑accredited program or equivalent.
• 7–10+ years of mechanical or thermal engineering experience, including direct responsibility for data hall CFD and containment modeling.
• Proficiency with CFD platforms such as ANSYS Fluent, Siemens STAR-CCM+, or 6SigmaDCX/Future Facilities.
• Proficiency with FEA tools such as ANSYS Mechanical, Abaqus, or equivalent.
• Experience using FEA to evaluate piping thermal expansion, seismic loading, and transient pressure effects before construction.
• Experience analyzing cold plates, microchannel heat exchangers, or immersion cooling fluid dynamics.
• Experience performing ride‑through and component‑failure simulations that inform FMEA and controls design.Demonstrated ability to compare simulation results with commissioning measurements and calibrate models to reflect actual system behavior.
• Strong technical communication skills and the ability to turn complex analytical findings into practical engineering guidance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal/Fluids, Computational Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.Formal training in direct‑to‑chip, immersion, or two‑phase liquid cooling physics.
• Working knowledge of psychrometrics and ASHRAE climate design data.
• Acoustic modeling and noise‑control experience for industrial or data center equipment.
• Experience supporting hyperscale, high‑density computing, or AI/HPC thermal infrastructure.
• Experience with self‑powered campuses, on‑site generation, or turbine inlet cooling.