Patent ID: 8439561

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a fluid distribution apparatus, the fluid distribution apparatus comprising a fluid supply header and a fluid return header, the fluid supply header facilitating providing fluid in parallel to multiple thermal simulators in a heating mode and to multiple electronics racks in a cooling mode, and the fluid return header receiving fluid in parallel from the multiple thermal simulators in the heating mode and the multiple electronics racks in the cooling mode; and a hybrid, dual-function fluid distribution unit coupled to the fluid supply header and to the fluid return header, the hybrid, dual-function fluid distribution unit comprising a hot fluid distribution sub-unit and a coolant distribution sub-unit, wherein in the heating mode, the hot fluid distribution sub-unit provides hot fluid via the fluid supply header and fluid return header to the multiple thermal simulators for facilitating simulation of heated airflow exhaust of respective electronics racks being simulated, and in the cooling mode, the coolant distribution sub-unit provides chilled fluid to the multiple electronics racks to facilitate cooling thereof, and wherein the hybrid, dual-function fluid distribution unit further comprises at least one bypass valve for facilitating switching of fluid flow between the hot fluid distribution sub-unit and the coolant distribution sub-unit.