Data Center

5 Questions to Ask About Liquid Cooling Technologies

With the rise of high-performance computing and the increasing chances of weather-related disaster, keeping data centers cool is becoming more critical.

Karli Shields

Karlie Shields is a Marketing Manager at AHEAD.

Federal agencies need to ensure their data centers can withstand the effects of climate change, from record-breaking temperatures to unexpected outages and changing weather patterns across the globe. Investing in power and cooling technologies is one way to help keep operations running even when disaster strikes. Here are five questions about liquid cooling technologies:

1. How Does Liquid Cooling Work?

Unlike air cooling, which chills entire rooms, liquid cooling can be installed on specific devices that need it most. It requires a combined knowledge of cooling and IT equipment, so it’s not as common as air cooling.

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2. When Is Liquid Cooling Best?

Liquid cooling has gained traction because traditional cooling doesn’t provide enough support for high-performance computing. These methods prove to be more efficient in rejecting the heat from IT equipment compared with air cooling systems.

3. What Kind of Technology Is Involved?

In immersion cooling, IT equipment is fully submerged in a liquid dielectric with no conductivity. The fluid absorbs the heat emitted by the device, turns it into vapor and condenses it to cool down the device.

4. Are There Other Technologies to Consider?

With direct-to-chip liquid cooling, flexible tubes bring nonflammable dielectric fluid directly to the chip or component that’s generating the most heat. The fluid turns into vapor, siphoning the heat away from the equipment through the same tube.

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5. How Much Does Liquid Cooling Cost?

Unless you’re installing a data center in a new building, it can be expensive. Plumbing must be added to server racks along with other liquid cooling–specific construction.

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