A computer-implemented method for predicting airflow within a data center using a potential flow technique, the method comprising: receiving, by a computer, data representing a physical layout of at least one data center space; generating, by the computer, at least one modeled data center space based on the received data; automatically generating, by the computer, an unstructured grid within the at least one modeled data center space comprising a plurality of unstructured grid cells, each unstructured grid cell having a size; determining, by the computer, airflow velocity values for each unstructured grid cell using airflow velocity potentials and the potential flow technique; determining, by the computer, a temperature value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values; determining, by the computer, a concentration value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values; calculating, by the computer, a measurement of error indicating whether the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of the unstructured grid cells satisfy convergence criteria; dividing a subset of grid cells of the plurality of unstructured grid cells into a plurality of visualization cells, wherein each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells has a second size less than a first size of an unstructured grid cell that includes the visualization cell; calculating, by the computer, a smoothed value for each visualization cell, wherein the smoothed value is at least one of a smoothed airflow velocity value and a smoothed temperature value; and controlling at least one of one or more coolers and one or more racks included in the at least one data center space based on the determined airflow values. receiving, by a computer, data representing a physical layout of at least one data center space; generating, by the computer, at least one modeled data center space based on the received data; automatically generating, by the computer, an unstructured grid within the at least one modeled data center space comprising a plurality of unstructured grid cells, each unstructured grid cell having a size; determining, by the computer, airflow velocity values for each unstructured grid cell using airflow velocity potentials and the potential flow technique; determining, by the computer, a temperature value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values; determining, by the computer, a concentration value for each unstructured grid cell using the airflow velocity values; calculating, by the computer, a measurement of error indicating whether the concentration values, the airflow velocity values and the temperature values for the plurality of the unstructured grid cells satisfy convergence criteria; dividing a subset of grid cells of the plurality of unstructured grid cells into a plurality of visualization cells, wherein each visualization cell of the plurality of visualization cells has a second size less than a first size of an unstructured grid cell that includes the visualization cell; calculating, by the computer, a smoothed value for each visualization cell, wherein the smoothed value is at least one of a smoothed airflow velocity value and a smoothed temperature value; and controlling at least one of one or more coolers and one or more racks included in the at least one data center space based on the determined airflow values.