ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 35 LIQUID COOLING Businesses have started to take a more scientific approach to mapping out the components with the highest heat outputs; this includes networking equipment, telecommunications infrastructure, power delivery and data storage. Many of these devices are already installed in data centres globally, and the life cycle and specification of this equipment will determine the approach data centre managers take to liquid cooling. Better to retrofit than never Some data centres are equipped with legacy IT equipment designed for air cooling. Many of these are not viable for retrofit to liquid cooling, mainly due to the cost, labour overhead and level of conversion required. However, at times a move to liquid cooling to boost eciency and environmental impact can be more cost eective than redesigning the entire facility. In this case it's best to install an air to liquid CDU as a first step before retrofitting the data centre. This will allow for a liquid cooled rack of servers utilising direct to chip cold plates to be deployed without a dedicated liquid loop taken through the data centre, and there is an added benefit of the liquid being controlled in smaller, more manageable volumes. Retrofitting liquid cooling infrastructure can be a complex task. For data centre managers who need some guidance on best practice, our customers have found our partnerships with industry associations such as The Green Grid, ASHRAE and the Open Compute Project invaluable. These specialists can assist with considerations such as selecting construction materials that are compliant for use based on the chosen liquid cooling method. Another option is the development of prefabricated modular data centres, where a liquid cooled deployment could be added to a facility with speed, and without significant reconstruction. Ultimately, many data centres looking to boost their eciency can be retrofitted for liquid cooling but finding optimal methods while following industry best practices and guidelines is key to achieving the right approach. Improve your efficiency, and the environment Data centre operators are under greater pressure to manage their environmental footprint, and new cooling technologies can help them achieve this. This has sparked some brilliantly inventive initiatives around the use of liquid cooling. For example, one concept saw the use of 5G network infrastructure deployed with liquid cooling within housing estates. Waste heat was repurposed for water heating, reducing the excess energy required for central heating within the houses. Deployments of liquid cooling are growing in number, and it is ultimately what will help to take cooling infrastructure cooling to the next level. As the many business benefits of liquid cooling are realised, it’s highly likely that Omdia’s prediction of liquid cooling doubling in the next three years will come true. Liquid cooling will empower the data centre industry to continue attracting new customers looking to partner with more sustainable companies, as well as improving its own energy eciency.