High temperature fluid coolers

Embrace next-gen AI and high-density challenges

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, the pressure is on to stay ahead of the curve-especially in terms of cooling hyperscale and colocation data centers.

As technology continues to advance and chip power density increases, managing temperature within data centers has become, and will remain, an ongoing and critical challenge. With each new generation of more powerful, densely packed processors, the heat generated inside data centers will continue to rise, pushing existing cooling systems to their limits, unless new technologies are adopted. This trend is only expected to accelerate with a demand for higher performance compute and greater storage capacity.

To stay ahead, data centers must not only anticipate these challenges but be ready to rapidly adapt and innovate to support the shifting demands of today's data center landscape.

But there's no need to worry-this isn't a crisis; it's an opportunity.

The uncertainty of the future

The future of chip technology is full of exciting possibilities and the potential for innovation is vast. With all of the possibilities and innovation, we do expect that the temperature thresholds needed to efficiently cool future AI deployments will evolve over time, with a wide landing point for expected density and temperature. As a result, determining the precise water temperature, needed from the cooling system, becomes both a challenge and a potential risk for hyperscale and colocation data center owners. Misjudging these requirements could lead to inefficient cooling strategies, increased energy consumption, and even potential damage to critical IT equipment-while also resulting in infrastructure investments that may not meet future demands.

The market demands a flexible solution that can support increasing densification, while continuously optimizing the use of the space and taking advantage of increased temperatures to enhance economization. Data center owners requires more efficient chillers that occupy as little space as possible, allowing them to add more chillers when higher density demands it-ensuring the cooling capacity can scale without limiting available space.

Create certainty today out of this uncertain future

Which solution can resolve this dilemma and shed light on this challenge?

The Vertiv™ CoolLoop Trim Cooler is an AI-ready solution designed with the future in mind to support the mass densification of data centers driven by today's AI factories. AI rack densities have drastically risen over the past few years, moving from 20kW per rack to now up to 130kW per rack, and this density is expected to reach 500kW or higher in the coming years. Optimized to support fluctuating data center water temperature demands, Vertiv's CoolLoop Trim Cooler can reach leaving water temperatures from 20°C (68°F) up to 40°C (104°F) while enabling cold plates to work at 45°C (113°F).

This solution is ideal for any data center configuration, whether it's an air cooled deployment or a hybrid system combining both air and liquid cooling capacity. Enabling the seamless, direct integration to Vertiv™ CoolChip CDU coolant distribution units or Vertiv™ CoolCenter Immersion systems, the Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler can deliver up to 2.6 MW of cooling in a single, compact frame.​

Hyperscalers and colocators are recognizing and addressing the growing need for hybrid cooling solutions that require fluid temperatures to reach 40°C (104°F), but in AI factories this need is even more critical. AI factories are specialized environments or systems designed to produce, train, and deploy artificial intelligence models at scale. They rely on high-performance computing (HPC) systems, which typically produce an incredible amount of heat.

For a 5000 m² data center facility, a traditional air-cooled or water-cooled chiller would provide around 17 kW/m² of heat rejection for a total cooling capacity of around 85 MW. When utilizing the Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler with its higher cooling capacity range, the total cooling capacity increases to 120 MW with a density of 24 kW/m². This equates to a net gain of over 40% total cooling capacity without increasing the overall footprint.

However, high density doesn't automatically equate to high water temperatures. Given the uncertainty of the future, key stakeholders are exploring the possibility that water temperatures could actually decrease, which would require a high degree of flexibility in cooling solutions. This forward-thinking approach reflects the ever-evolving nature of chip technology and the need to adapt to unforeseen developments. The next generation of cooling systems will need to heavily rely not only on liquid cooling technologies to support such high densities, but also on chillers capable of addressing these unforeseeable fluid temperatures, making this level of responsiveness the only viable solution moving forward.

No matter how the chip technology evolves, or which facility water system temperature will be required to run the data center, strategically designing the data center today will easily allow data center owners to embrace any future developments that may come as a result AI factories.

Eco-conscious cooling powered by 360° efficiency

At the same time, an environmentally responsible, future-ready solution is essential; it is not possible to overlook the importance of eco-friendliness in the face of evolving technological demands.

Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler is designed to adapt to varying data center water temperature requirements and can reach leaving water temperatures from 20°C (68°F) up to 40°C (104°F). Higher water temperatures enable data center owners to achieve greater efficiency and reduce overall energy consumption.

For an air-cooled IT load of 10 MW running at 80% capacity with water temperatures at 20°C (68°F), we can achieve a pPUE of 1.15 with standard chillers. By operating the same data center with water at a higher temperature of 35°C (95°F) with Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler, data center operators can achieve a higher pPUE estimated at 1.087 and an efficiency increase of nearly 70%.

Traditionally, chiller efficiency is largely powered by free cooling operation which leverages the external ambient temperature to cool the liquid and optimize performance. A vision-driven solution must consider this a fundamental requirement. Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler offers extended free cooling microchannel heat exchangers, delivering superior heat transfer, optimized for high ambient temperatures, thereby consuming less energy which in turn lowers CO₂e emissions.

Moreover, it is powered by very low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant (R1234ze, GWP value of 7), meeting global today's and future regulatory standards for refrigerant usage and providing maximum seasonal efficiency, especially at partial load. This forward-thinking design ensures that the cooling system remains both environmentally responsible and economically efficient, even as regulations continue to tighten and environmental standards evolve.

When the option of free cooling is not viable, due to high outdoor air temperatures, the inverter-driven technology used in the Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler can efficiently handle operational peaks. This capability enhances energy efficiency, while minimizing power consumption, providing increased flexibility.

A Global cooler for Any Climate, Anywhere.

The need for a unit that can operate at facility water temperatures up to 40°C (104°F), with return temperatures to the Trim Cooler of 50°C (122°F) and is able to integrate with direct-to-chip or immersion liquid cooling solutions are just a few of the many requirements for data center owners.

They also need a solution capable of performing efficiently across a wide range of external air temperatures. From Stockholm to Phoenix to Dubai and Tokyo, the Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler is designed for compatibility with any climate around the world thanks to its extended global operating temperature range from -20°C to over 55°C (-4°F to 131°F). Space constraints are a globally shared challenge as well. Owners and operators can strategically plan to prevent space constraints by accounting for the potential fluctuations in both current and future water temperatures and selecting an infrastructure design that can adapt to evolving cooling needs. Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler can operate efficiently at extremely high external air temperatures without the need for consuming water or water treatment systems that would require additional equipment and increased footprint. This reduces the need for extra devices, lowers investment costs, and minimizes space requirements, driving significant savings.

Get ready for the future today

The future of cooling is coming fast, but with the right design strategy, data center owners can embrace it with confidence. Preparing data centers for higher water temperatures, mass densification, and next-gen chip cooling by installing next generation solutions like Vertiv CoolLoop Trim Cooler, will enable seamless flexibility and versatility, all without the headache of constant redesigns or costly infrastructure investments.

With an AI-ready solution, data center operators can turn uncertainty into a clear advantage while envisioning their future, plan for the possibilities, and create an infrastructure solution that evolves with their technology. Don't just react to change, take charge of it.

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