L A T E S T I N T E L L I G E N C E
DIRECT LIQUID COOLING SYSTEM CHALLENGES IN DATA CENTERS: DATA CENTER RESEARCH & STRATEGY
Artificial intelligence( AI) and high performance computing( HPC) workloads depend on highperformance chips( typically graphics processing units or GPUs) to perform mathematical calculations. As the computing performance for these chips intensifies, more heat must be removed. Server vendors are switching from aircooling to liquid-cooling to deal with this increased heat density. Direct liquid cooling( DLC), also known as direct-tochip, has become the de facto method for cooling these chips. However, the data center industry is still learning how to implement this technology at scale and is in the early phases of developing standards around it. As a result, there are some key challenges related to DLC systems in data centers.
In this paper, we focus on the challenges associated with DLC applications involving around 500 kW or more and 10 or more IT racks. These rough thresholds indicate where a specific type of DLC architecture becomes applicable, as we will explore in detail later.
Challenges
Table 1 lists the eight challenges discussed in this paper. They are organized by life phases: Specification, Installation, and Operation. They are also ranked within each life phase by importance, highlighting the most critical ones first. Several of the challenges stem from a lack of industry standards. Not only do standards serve manufacturers( e. g., testing, ratings), they also help define how to specify, install, and operate these key technologies.
We describe each challenge and provide guidance on how it should be addressed.
Note, the challenges in this paper are not an exhaustive list, but ones that are top-of-mind today. Other challenges will arise as adoption grows and technology continues to evolve. �
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