In the fast-evolving world of modern data centers and industrial facilities, the surge in AI and machine learning applications has made thermal management more critical than ever. The market is requiring high-density, AI-ready chillers designed for liquid cooling to shape tomorrow’s data centers cooling with the future in mind.
Why datacenters need more cooling capacity
As data centers continue to evolve and support increasingly complex and high-performance computing demands, the need for greater cooling capacity has become critical to maintain optimal efficiency, reliability, and performance of IT infrastructure.
Several factors contribute to the need for increased cooling capacity in modern data centers.
- The rise of cloud computing and streaming services has fuelled hyperscale demand for large data centers, which need powerful cooling solutions to maintain performance. Long-established air-based cooling systems struggle to keep pace with the intense heat generated by high-density data processing, accelerating the shift toward the adoption of advanced cooling solutions like liquid cooling, that delivers greater efficiency and performance.
- Increased data loads and the demand for high-performance computing, driven by IoT, AI, ML, 5G, and power-intensive components like GPUs and AI accelerators, are pushing data centers to significantly boost their cooling capacity.
- Edge computing creates additional challenges, as smaller, local data centers require highly efficient and scalable cooling systems to meet growing demands.
- Rising demands for reliability in data centers drive the need for larger, more resilient cooling systems capable of managing higher workloads, maintaining uninterrupted performance, redundancy, continuous operations in mission-critical environments minimizing system failure risks.
Key benefits of high-capacity chillers
As showcased previously, data centers are facing increasing demands for cooling capacity due to the rising power consumption and heat generation from modern IT equipment. High-capacity chillers are critical in addressing these needs, providing efficient cooling solutions to handle large-scale heat loads.
Below are some of the key benefits that these systems bring to the table.
Taking the heat, designed to fit! Overcome heat and space challenges
High-capacity chillers are vital for cooling high-density equipment like AI and ML systems, which generate intense heat. These chillers, especially when paired with liquid cooling, offer efficient, compact cooling solutions. Additionally, with the potential for heat reuse, they can recover and repurpose excess heat, supporting energy efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint.
With their small footprint, they free up valuable rooftop space, allowing data centers to scale cooling efficiently and reserve space for future expansion enabling businesses to increase power density while preserving room for additional equipment.
The VertivTM Liebert® AFC high-capacity inverter screw chiller is the answer to this need as it delivers up to 2.2MW of cooling in a single compact frame allowing industries to adapt to their cooling requirements to support high density IT applications.
Compact your chiller, compact your CAPEX: Great things come in compact packages
When downtime is not an option, high-capacity chillers provide rapid, cost-effective cooling solutions as engineered for fast deployment, allowing businesses to scale cooling quickly with minimal disruption to ongoing operations. Great for expanding existing or new data centers, these chillers offer hassle-free, efficient installation to meet rising cooling demands, helping businesses maximize return on investment.
With the increasing pressure to scale operations and meet growing cooling demands Liebert® AFC is specially designed in a compact single frame, to minimize the number of units to be installed reducing the time and cost for the positioning and commissioning. To grant reliability, Liebert AFC is fully factory tested, avoiding additional, expensive tests to be done on site.
Eco-Conscious Cooling: strive for a carbon-neutral footprint
Today, critical infrastructures face a growing range of challenges. In addition to maintaining reliability, service continuity, and cost efficiency, there is an urgent need to prioritize environmental compatibility. As companies work toward net zero carbon emissions, high-capacity chillers can play a key role in building energy-efficient, climate-conscious data centers.
Designed with reducing environmental impact in mind, Liebert AFC high capacity is powered by the R1234ze refrigerant, the low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant with GWP=7.
Together with inverter-driven technologies and enhanced free cooling capabilities (the free cooling coils are optimized to use the external ambient air as the primary source of cooling), this solution significantly reduces both direct and indirect carbon emissions, allowing up to 20% lower annual energy consumption compared to fixed screw solutions, thus helping businesses minimize their environmental impact while maintaining optimal cooling performance.
Glycol is very important in free cooling units to avoid problems related to freezing, but at the same time it is a pollutant. The Glycol-free versions allow glycol to be contained inside the unit, preventing it from circulating inside the data center. This allows reducing the risk of environmental pollution and installation costs.
Stressing over fluctuating cooling demands? Experience the power of effortless adaptability
As businesses grow, scalable cooling is essential. Each data center is unique, and high-capacity chillers offer the flexibility to meet evolving needs. Whether expanding server capacity or industrial production, these chillers adapt to increasing cooling demands. With limited rooftop space becoming a challenge, modular designs and customizable configurations allow businesses to add or adjust cooling capacity as needed, offering efficient and adaptable systems without major overhauls or expensive upgrades.
The Liebert AFC high capacity solution, designed in a compact footprint, 15% more compact than the industry standard, allows customers to flex, adapting to meet change needs, expanding and scaling datacenters when needed, helping growing industries to stay agile. It is designed to perfectly match the configuration and requirements of any data center. It is extremely configurable and the vast number of versions and options combined with the wide operating range up to +56°C and down to -25°C external ambient temperature makes it an extremely versatile unit that can be used all over the world.
Cooling is nothing without control!
Chilled water systems demand precise monitoring and control, whether for new or existing data centers. Therefore, owners require a comprehensive, turnkey chilled water solution where indoor and outdoor units integrate seamlessly, and control systems efficiently manage and optimize the entire operation
The Liebert AFC high capacity chiller comes complete with VertivTM Liebert® iCOM™ control that manages and optimizes the overall system. It is fully programmable via an advanced and user-friendly touch display and can be linked with common BMS protocols, allowing remote supervision. Unit power consumptions and cooling gross capacity can be calculated thanks to specific algorithms and the direct communication between the control, sensors and the different devices. This allows the monitoring of the unit energy efficiency through the BMS system.
Conclusion
The benefits of high-capacity chillers are clear: they are AI-ready, densification-ready chillers that provide compact, space-saving solutions to maximize cooling efficiency, reduce CAPEX, and enable rapid deployment without disrupting operations. VertivTM Liebert® AFC high-capacity inverter screw chiller is designed with a lower impact in mind, using very low-GWP refrigerants and energy-efficient technologies to help data centers reduce their carbon footprints and work towards Net Zero emissions. With modular designs and the flexibility to adapt to changing needs, these chillers provide long-term scalability, keeping data centers reliable, efficient, and prepared for future growth.
