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Trends Liquid Cooling: Worth Considering 050.7379 Can liquids cool data centers a thousand times more efficiently than air? Or is this just an exaggerated, general advertising statement from innovative manufacturers? The range is probably between 50 and 1,000 times more efficient. This article focuses on what data center providers should consider before investing. Data centers are increasingly compacting performance in computer rooms. Servers, switches and microelectronics are becoming ever more tightly packed. As processing power increases, so does the operating temperature in the racks. This is why heat dissipation management is given top priority. Cooling with liquids is basically much more efficient than conventional cooling with air. Due to their heat capacity and density, liquids dissipate heat around 1,000 times more efficiently than air. Smaller PUE value feasible Air cooling is established and widespread. In a conventional computer room layout, cool air from the cold aisle is blown through the racks into the hot aisle where the air is collected. Ventilation ducts and blowers lead it to cooling units or other heat dissipation systems. This classic configuration is no longer sufficient today. In addition, it is becoming practically impossible to achieve a PUE (Power Usage Efficiency) value that meets climate targets. Operators must find new ways to make «green data centers» a reality. What is more, energy costs and legal regulations are also necessitating action. The challenge, then, is to operate systems with a high and continuous workload in an even more efficient and cost-effective manner. Air cooling generally achieves a PUE of 1.35 to 1.69. According to a study by the U.S. Air Force, that figure can be reduced to 1.03 with liquid cooling systems. In immersion cooling, individual servers or entire systems are immersed in a dielectric coolant. 050.7380 Types of liquid cooling Liquid cooling is a generic term for the way in which heat is dissipated. There are very different liquid cooling systems, although there are generally three main types: rear- 12 | CONNECTIONS 10|2023–65
Cooling with rear door heat exchangers Chilled water Graphic: R&M CDU (cooling disribution unit) RDHE (rear door heat exchanger) 050.7382 More efficiency to be expected Further advances in microelectronics are to be expected, with energy efficiency increasing all the time. Innovations such as co-packaged optics (CPO) aim to minimize electrical transmission between chips and fibers and reduce transmission losses. At the same time, they can increase the number of transmission channels. There is no need for conventional connectors. This means that the front panels of the devices can be designed more openly in spite of a higher power density in order to allow more ventilation. Pros and cons There are several factors to consider when choosing a type of cooling, including the density of the power to dissipate (power/ rack), computer workloads and packing density, reconfiguration and patching needs, infrastructures for heat dissipation. Conclusion: Greater performance and higher density in the racks do not necessarily mean that investments and the effort involved in heat dissipation increase proportionally. But the demand for heat dissipation tends to increase. Liquid-based cooling systems are therefore worth considering in view of their improved efficiency. 050.7384 In direct chip cooling, small channels take the coolant into the active electronic equipment. side heat exchangers, direct chip cooling and immersion cooling. – In the case of heat exchangers on the rear of the racks (rear door heat exchangers), fans blow the warm air through a grid of pipes containing coolant. The liquid absorbs the heat, is pumped to an external cooling mechanism and returned to the heat exchanger. – In direct chip cooling, small channels take the coolant into the active electronic equipment. The channels and heat sinks are arranged above or below the heat-generating chips. This approach requires additional air circulation to dissipate the residual heat. – In immersion cooling, individual servers or entire systems are immersed in a dielectric coolant. The liquid circulates and transports heat away. This is the most efficient form of cooling. Of course, every approach has advantages and disadvantages. As yet, there is no onesize-fits-all solution. The total cost of ownership (TCO) of liquid-cooled systems is likely to be significantly lower. However, the initial investment is likely to be higher. The layout and premises of the data center must be evaluated. Heat exchangers on the racks are easy to install. Chip cooling and immersion cooling require specially configured equipment. Conventional air cooling is sufficient if the total power to dissipate is below 20 kW per rack. If it exceeds this threshold value, R&M believes that a strategy for liquid cooling should be taken into consideration. Cold aisle Hot aisle 050.7385 Classic DC cooling management comes under pressure. Data center operators must find new ways to make «green data centers» a reality. Energy costs and legal regulations are also necessitating action. www.rdm.com/bladeshelter/ BladeCooling Plus from R&M Tecnosteel Robert Merki | CTO robert.merki@rdm.com 050.7148 030.7914 10|2023–65 CONNECTIONS | 13
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