Page 32 - Climate Control News magazine April 2023

Data Centres
DIELECTRIC FLUIDS PROGRAM
Liquid immersion cooling has long been seen as a niche or special purpose solution, for high-density or high-performance computer servers.
Yet, with rising server energy consumption, power costs, Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) policies, and regulatory scrutiny, immersion cooling is positioned to be the primary technology enabling sustainability for all data centres today and into the future.
At the end of last year, GRC launched its ElectroSafe Fluid Partner Program.
The program evaluates and validates dielectric fluids designed for use in GRC’s immersion cooling systems, ensuring globally available, environmentally responsible solutions that meet material compatibility, performance, and safety.
In addition to enhancing data centre performance, all fluids included in the program will contribute to achieving GRC’s customers’ ESG goals. To date, a number of partners have joined the program.
Ramping up adoption of immersion cooling technology
IMMERSION COOLING IS growing in popu- larity as it can reduce an organisation’s environ- mental footprint.
Data centres are responsible for three per cent of the world's energy consumption, with this projected to grow to 20 per cent by 2025.
Immersion cooling eliminates air cooling infrastructure such as server fans, air handlers and duct work.
These systems are replaced with liquid circu- lation pumps and heat exchanger and/or dry cooler systems.
With liquid immersion cooling being a rela- tively new addition to the data centre cooling landscape, there are still plenty of barriers to adoption.
One of them is the question of maturity and standard development. Leaders in the space and working to overcome some of these barriers.
Immersion cooling solutions trailblazer Submer is sharing its fluid expertise with indus- try to standardise and accelerate widescale immersion cooling adoption.
Submer has established a network for
validation services, which will in turn grow its own end-to-end solutions for more variety in choices tailored to Edge and data centre applica- tions. Sustainability will remain one of the main drivers of this venture and put an emphasis on the use of natural resources, heat reuse, and the like.
“SUBMER IS THE ONLY FLUID-AGNOSTIC PLAYER IN THIS NEW COOLING SPACE.”
Submer, the only fluid-agnostic player and leader in the immersion cooling space, has fos- tered a top-class group of collaborators with extensive reach and resources and interest in working towards more sustainable services.
These include global lubricant companies Shell and Castrol, enlisted for their extensive
reach and resources as well as their interest in working towards more sustainable services.
As experts in turnkey immersion cooling solutions —including but not limited to immer- sion tanks, coolant, and software — Submer will be heading these collaborative efforts to perfect formulas through the optimisation, validation, and standardisation of fluids.
This co-creation will take place within Submer’s, neutral official Immersion Centre of Excellence, a space for experts to form ideas and bring them to market through R&D and testing.
The centre will act as a vessel for all industry partners, delivering testing and certification services under ISO 17025.
Submer is therefore building a complete and diverse fluid portfolio, maintaining the high standards of existing Submer services but tak- ing things a step further in terms of fluids opti- mised for specific performance requirements and applications.
Combining Submer’s know-how with that of other seasoned experts across industry should drive immersion at scale.
32
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU