Data centers are facing multiple challenges at the moment. The digital transformation requires data spaces worldwide and high speed in the expansion of high-performance infrastructure - also for the energy transition. With increasing power density, data centers are also large consumers themselves and must be optimized in terms of energy. The Open Compute Project (OCP) shows a way: standardized DC-based technology promotes energy- and cost-efficient operation with high scalability. At the OCP Global Summit from October 17 to 19 in San José, California, Rittal will show how DC benefits can be combined with new cooling technology in the standardized IT rack
In San José, visitors to Rittal will be able to get hands-on with the latest OpenRack ORV3 and new cooling solutions designed to match it. Co-developed by the international standardization experts at Rittal, the rack supports 48V DC power supply and enables configuration up to 44 OU / 48 RU. With the flexible configuration of the power shelves, it offers the best conditions for scalability and the high performance of future server generations.
High computing power also requires efficient cooling: "The rapidly increasing number of AI applications requires ultra-fast graphics processing units (GPUs). These generate so much heat that manufacturers are designing them for high-performance liquid cooling from the start," says Steffen Wagner, Head of Product Management Cooling Solutions at Rittal.
Single Phase Liquid Cooling
As a solution provider, Rittal is showing a Cooling Distribution Unit for single-phase direct liquid cooling that is designed for use with the Open Rack V 3. The aim is to offer customers a complete solution from a single source with high availability and easy serviceability.
In doing so, the design takes advantage of OCP. Just as is the case with the power supply, the server in the rack is simply coupled with standardized connections to the central inlets and outlets of the water circuit. "High temperatures also provide good conditions for heat reuse. For high energy efficiency, this setup is increasingly in demand," Wagner explains. Water also offers advantages with regard to fluorinated gases (F-gases) and perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS), he adds. "We are convinced that water, along with other approaches, will again play a greater role as a coolant." Therefore, Rittal will continuously expand its portfolio for single phase cooling with water, he added.