Pune Innovation Lab

Introduction

Leading the way in shaping the AI future of data centres, we at STT GDC India are revolutionising and building technologies at our Pune Innovation Lab. Meeting the demands of the ever-increasing heat loads generated by high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, we are harnessing cutting-edge liquid cooling technologies to efficiently and sustainably manage high rack densities. Committed to reducing environmental impact and energy consumption, and with a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, our advanced cooling technologies offer a smarter, scalable, and more sustainable approach to tackling thermal challenges.

Liquid Cooling Technologies

At our state-of-the-art innovation lab, we are advancing data centre infrastructure by testing next-generation liquid cooling technologies. These include in-row cooling, rear door heat exchangers, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and liquid immersion cooling. Let’s know more about them -

1) In-row Cooling

In-row cooling utilises self-contained cooling units that are strategically placed between rows of heat-generating server racks.

By capturing heat directly at the source, these units enhance cooling efficiency by up to 95%, minimising energy loss from air mixing in the server hall. The units are further connected with chilled water piping which rejects the heat through the heat exchanger. This solution supports up to 30kW per rack, making it ideal for high-density setups where traditional cooling methods prove to be insufficient.

2) Rear Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx)

RDHx systems replace the standard server rear doors with sophisticated heat exchangers. The coolant flowing in the exchangers absorbs heat from the exhaust air released by servers. RDHx provides a modular solution that seamlessly integrates with existing air-cooled systems.

This system circulates cooling water via CDUs (Cooling Distribution Units) or directly through pipelines and is often retrofitted onto existing server racks, enabling liquid cooling with minimal infrastructure changes.

Passive RDHx is suitable for loads up to 20kW while active RDHx is for extreme demands up to 50kW per rack.

3) Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DCLC)

This cutting-edge technology brings cooling right to the source, the CPU itself through microchannel cold plates or integrated heat exchangers. This system includes a Cooling Distribution Unit (CDU) with a plate heat exchanger to transfer heat between facility cooling water and dielectric fluid, which circulates through IT racks via an SS manifold with safety measures in place.

Additionally, CDUs can be directly mounted on servers without much change in the existing data centre architecture & a standalone CDU can also be placed in a row which can distribute to multiple server racks.

This solution is ideal for high-density, high-compute AI setups up to 100kW per rack where every degree counts.

4) Immersion Cooling

This method submerges entire servers in a high-thermal-conductivity dielectric liquid, enabling direct heat transfer for exceptional cooling performance. The heated liquid is circulated through a cooling distribution unit or heat exchanger, transferring heat to the facility's cooling water system.

This system operates at elevated temperatures, around 32°C, maximising efficiency.

Immersion cooling is an ideal solution for the most demanding AI and HPC applications, offering unparalleled cooling performance and energy efficiency for IT servers of up to 150kW.

Benefits & Impacts

Our Liquid Cooling Solutions revolutionise data centres, delivering exceptional benefits for high-density, high-compute servers powering AI, Gen AI, and LLM models.

Maximising Space Utilisation - They allow for closer placement of servers within racks, maximising space utilisation and server capacity in a relatively smaller footprint.

Reducing Energy Consumption - Liquid cooling efficiently eliminates heat far faster than perimeter cooling, significantly reducing energy consumption for both IT equipment and

Enhanced Performance - They ensure optimal operating temperatures for servers, leading to improved performance and reliability.

Lower Power Consumption - Liquid cooling systems provide faster heat transfer and better efficiency, resulting in lower power consumption compared to traditional air cooling.

Lower Carbon Footprint - Our Liquid Cooling Innovation Lab offers a key platform to evaluate and compare various liquid cooling solutions for data centres, focusing on reduced carbon footprint, lower GWP, and lower facility power consumption.

To know more about our Pune location click here