Years ago, entering a data center for more than a few minutes would require a jacket. A warm hat was also a good idea.
Today, shorts should suffice.
Despite temperature recommendations shifting from brisk lows to today’s high of 80.6°F, one thing remains true: The need for efficient, scalable and reliable data center cooling solutions has never been more critical.
This is especially important as more businesses rely on data centers and their continuous processing capacity to fuel operations around the globe and around the clock. As a result, innovation in high-density yet efficient cooling technologies continues to advance.
Fortunately, teams have many options to supply the necessary cooling capacity for their data centers. However, not every method will work for every use case.
Let’s explore the main options and compare their effectiveness to help you choose the best high-density cooling solution for your organization’s needs.
What Is High-Density Cooling?
The average data center size can vary widely depending on its purpose, but enterprise data centers typically range from 20,000-100,000 square feet and have between 2,000-5,000 servers. Hyperscale data centers, however, have at least 5,000 servers.
Given the sheer square footage of these spaces, the energy needed to cool high-density data center IT equipment can be more than 40 percent of the total energy consumption.
And with these systems running all day, every day, the costs can quickly add up.
These requirements—and the scale to which they have to operate—have led to an industry focus known as high-density cooling. This refers to the temperature management systems that handle the continuous and intense heat generated by concentrated computing resources.
Put more simply, implementing an efficient cooling system is essential for reducing operational costs and maximizing equipment lifespan.
High-Density Cooling Solutions: An Overview
The four most common high-density cooling solutions range from the familiar air cooling method to the more innovative immersion cooling approach.
Here’s what you need to know about each method:
- Air cooling: This method uses high-performance fans and airflow management tools to circulate cool air through the server racks and control heat.
- Liquid cooling: In-rack liquid cooling removes heat from the server racks using specially designed pipes with thermal fluids running inside. The liquid is recycled, cooled and moved back through the system.
- Immersion cooling: Server hardware is submerged in a thermally conductive liquid held at a constant temperature.
- Chilled beam cooling: Ceiling-mounted surfaces are chilled and absorb the heat generated by the servers through natural convection.
Comparison of Cooling Solutions
Each high-density cooling method comes with unique advantages. The following table compares them across several variables:
|
Cooling Method |
Efficiency |
Cost |
Space Utilization |
Scalability |
Use Cases |
|
Air Cooling |
Moderate, relies on airflow optimization |
Lower initial cost but higher long-term costs from energy use |
Requires a lot of space for airflow management |
High, especially with traditional data center layouts |
Common for conventional uses in low- to moderate-density data centers |
|
Liquid Cooling |
High, involves direct-to-chip cooling |
Higher upfront cost but lower ongoing operational costs |
Requires space for plumbing infrastructure |
High, scales for high- performance computing needs |
Best for high-density, high-performance computing |
|
Immersion Cooling |
Very high, components are submerged in coolant |
High initial investment but low operational costs |
Requires less floor space |
High, especially for high-density computing |
Ideal for special use cases, such as AI or machine learning |
|
Chilled Beam Cooling |
High, provides passive cooling |
Moderate initial costs with lower operational expenses |
Requires ceiling-mounted beams, reducing overall space use |
Limited, best for specific use cases |
Good for low- to moderate-density data centers that need quiet operations |
Take the Next Step
Selecting a high-density cooling method is a big investment for your data center that shouldn’t be made based on upfront costs alone.
Instead, you should consider the larger technological, maintenance and operational requirements involved in managing your organization’s data center environment so you can make a larger business case for each option. Each option’s strengths—energy efficiency, scalability or operational costs—can then be evaluated against today’s needs and tomorrow’s projected changes.
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