Data Centers Get Ready for a Liquid-Cooled Future

One of the more common methods for reducing server rack temperatures in data centers is air cooling. However, growing artificial intelligence workloads and demand are requiring a more efficient solution, which involves liquid cooling.

A recently released report from JLL said that power-efficiency gains from liquid cooling offer reduced energy use and substantial cost savings.

Already In Play

Liquid cooling is already in use, with data center operator Equinix deploying the technology across its 100-plus data centers. Digital Realty introduced a high-density colocation offering powered by liquid cooling that supports workloads of up to 70 kilowatts (kW) per rack.

Meanwhile, chip manufacturer Nvidia is providing next-gen servers specifically designed to take advantage of liquid cooling. These manage the heat generated by CPUs and GPUs.

The report said that liquid cooling offers benefits for data centers, including a reduced need for air-cooling and the space-consuming air-cooling equipment. This means more valuable floor space that can be converted into additional data hall capacity.

Additionally, liquid cooling equipment requires a lower floor-to-height requirement.

Not an Easy Road

While liquid cooling provides a viable solution for preventing rack overheating, it requires an overhaul of existing data center infrastructure and design, especially in older buildings.

Also, retrofitting existing data centers to include liquid cooling can encounter infrastructure and power constraints, according to the report. As such, Operators should consider how changing the data center environment could negatively impact service in other data halls.

The report also noted a risk of premature obsolescence as the technology continues to evolve.

Photo: Liquid cooling data center infrastructure, on.u/Shutterstock