EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
NIGEL GORE , GLOBAL OFFERINGS , HIGH DENSITY AND LIQUID COOLING AT VERTIV
he new data centre applications in areas
T such as AI or VR require more computing power and generate significantly more heat . Data centres are struggling to reduce the extra heat generated by these new demands using traditional air cooling systems , which are no longer up to the job and are energy-intensive .
Data centre operators are under huge pressure to manage their carbon footprint and emerging liquid cooling technologies are an important tool for addressing this challenge . So much so that Omdia research predicts the use of
IMMERSION COOLING REQUIRES MINIMAL ENERGY INPUT , SO IS MORE EFFICIENT THAN OTHER COOLING METHODS . some forms of liquid cooling ( including immersion cooling ) to double between 2020 and 2024 .
Immersion cooling requires servers and other IT equipment to be submerged in coolant liquid tanks of dielectric fluid . This method captures the heat and eliminates the need for energy-intensive air-based cooling . Immersion cooling requires minimal energy input , so is more efficient than other cooling methods .
New opportunities
Immersion cooling also captures and utilises waste heat . For example , a recent initiative involved a 5G infrastructure provider pumping the water used for liquid cooling into a housing complex . This ‘ waste heat ’ was reused to provide heating to the domestic water supply and central heating . This not only creates a sustainable process for data centre operators , but also opens up potential new revenue streams for infrastructure providers – a win-win situation .
Working together
As data centres come under renewed scrutiny on their energy needs , immersion cooling will be a frontrunner solution for sustainable data centre practices . But this is just the beginning .
DATA CENTRE OPERATORS ARE UNDER HUGE PRESSURE TO MANAGE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND EMERGING LIQUID COOLING TECHNOLOGIES ARE AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR ADDRESSING THIS CHALLENGE .
We will also need collaboration between industry and academia to ensure we build a sustainable future . At Vertiv , for example , we ’ re working with the Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems ( ES2 ) partner universities to improve the efficiencies of data centres . This type of partnership can assist in developing compatible materials , further our understanding of fluid hygiene filtration and containment methods , and optimising controls for liquid cooling systems .
Ultimately , it ’ s how we manage the demand for data and the energy it requires , that will shape the future of the data centre industry , and immersion cooling plays a key role in this vision .
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