Industry growth and thermal management
As the demand for data processing power continues to rise, fueled by advancements in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), data center operators face unprecedented challenges in efficiently managing heat generated by increasingly dense IT equipment. In this dynamic landscape, direct expansion (DX) cooling systems stand as a cornerstone solution, providing efficient and effective thermal management to safeguard the integrity of mission-critical operations and future-proof data center design.
Vertiv has been at the forefront of DX cooling innovation for almost 60 years, leveraging decades of expertise to engineer innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of modern data centers. Utilizing the patented EconoPhase pumped refrigerant economization technology, Vertiv DX systems support liquid-cooled applications for direct-to-chip and rear door deployments.
Direct expansion market drivers
Direct expansion system components
Room cooling solutions have been the standard in data center thermal management from the beginning. Providing flexibility and modularity, direct expansion systems can support room, row, and rack level cooling while delivering high levels of efficiency and low operational costs. With unit-to-unit communication and operation functionality, Vertiv’s DX products make it even easier to customize data center deployments.
Packaged solution greatly simplyfy the work on site and Vertiv offers solution that can modulate between air and liquid cooling providing ultimate in flexibility and speed.
Utilizing refrigerant to rejection heat and deliver liquid cooling to the rack or directly to the chip is not a new concept at Vertiv. We have, however, refined our products to maximize that capability, merging the two technologies better than ever. Precise temperature, pressure, and flow control deliver high-density cooling directly to the chip, and the heat is rejected outdoors via Vertiv’s EconoPhase technology, maximizing efficiency both inside and outside.
Direct expansion systems take advantage of condensers or drycoolers located outside to reject the heat that is captured in the data center. Depending on the air-cooled product, Vertiv offers a wide range of heat rejection options to manage the heat produced by the IT equipment effectively.
Direct expansion systems as a solution
Modular and Scalable deployments
Utilizing similar building blocks and with one-to-one deployments, data centers can add capacity as needed, phasing in deployments over time. This modular approach reduces design time and deployment cost and helps to future-proof the entire data center design.
Zone control
Not every AI deployment is equal, and not every high-density pod in a data center has the same cooling demand. With zone control, direct expansion systems can easily adapt to various load conditions within the same space and to varying heat loads throughout the day as demand fluctuates over time.
Future-proofing with liquid cooling
Many data centers are moving towards liquid cooling solutions in response to the growing demands of AI workloads. Direct expansion systems can support this transition to more complex cooling methods like direct-to-chip and rear door cooling.
Environmental impact with low-gwp refrigerants
Vertiv strives to provide our customers with the best refrigerant choice regarding GWP value while balancing cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and safety. The regulations governing GWP values and refrigerant usage are dynamic, changing on a regional basis over time. Vertiv remains active in research for new technologies and the continued development of new products that meet safety standards and local regulations as they evolve over time and in different regions. Our DX Solutions are offered in 454B and 513A to meet the unique needs of requirements globally.
Optimizing direct expansion systems
High efficiency leveraging freecooling with pumped refrigerant economization technology
The EconoPhase technology used in Vertiv™ Liebert® DSE and and Liebert® MCV systems enables data centers to take advantage of freecooling. These innovative systems pump refrigerant through the heat rejection coils and leverage cold external air temperatures as the primary cooling source, reducing the reliance on compressors and only utilizing them during the peak heat periods of the year. This approach not only increases efficiency but also supports more sustainable cooling practices.
Enhanced energy efficiency and room conditions through technology
Demand will fluctuate constantly throughout the day, leading to varying heat loads that must be effectively managed. Vertiv direct expansion products have been designed with components and intelligent controls that allow the unit to match the required cooling capacity and room conditions at any particular moment, increasing efficiency without sacrificing the quality of the room conditions. Additionally, this technology makes the installation ore efficient, reducing operational costs for the total system.
Proper sizing and solution design
Ensuring the cooling system is properly sized for the application is crucial for maximum efficiency. This can be done through several types of analysis or even validation testing in a lab. Undersized systems may struggle to keep up with demand, while oversized systems can waste energy and lead to inefficiencies across the deployment.
Regularly scheduled maintenance
Scheduling regular maintenance for cooling systems helps them operate at peak efficiencies and can also mean catching problems before they occur. Partnering with certified technicians and planning to perform routine maintenance ensures a long life for your data center infrastructure and the IT equipment it supports.
Optimized system level control
Managing the system to maximize efficiency leveraging Teamwork and Advanced Teamwork capability with remote wireless sensors provides ensure system reliability while optimizing effiency. This involves coordinating the operation of both external and internal units while teaming together all units within the data center to simplyfy management and monitoring of the system. Vertiv™ Liebert® iCOM™-S enhances this process by:
- Providing a single point for managing thermal infrastructure
- Gaining quick access to data, system diagnostics, and historical trends
- Increasing energy savings via advanced control algorithms
- Decreasing deployment and integration time>
Your trusted advisors for thermal management
Optimizing data centers for agility, efficiency, and growth is a crucial challenge to overcome. Vertiv provides a complete array of direct expansion cooling solutions, managing data center heat from chip to heat reuse and meeting the needs of current and future applications, including AI and HPC. Our DX solutions have led the industry in efficiency for decades, with the EconoPhase technology delivering up to 37% annual energy savings when compared to traditional systems. This same EconoPhase technology is now enabling direct-to-chip liquid cooling applications to support future growth towards AI and ML deployments while providing the same flexibility that data center owners have enjoyed for years. With modular and scalable systems, our DX solutions enable rapid growth and agile deployments for data centers, large or small. Each system is backed by our unmatched global service capabilities to ensure that the high-performance hardware they rely on always operates at peak performance.
