CHALLENGE
Cooling Challenges in High-Density Data Centers Amidst Rising AI Demands
The exponential growth in data center demands, driven by the proliferation of digital services, supercomputing, and artificial intelligence, has escalated the challenges of heat dissipation and resource consumption. High-density server environments generate significant heat, pushing traditional cooling methods to their limits, impacting performance, reliability, and sustainability.
SOLUTION
Partnering to Innovate Waterless Cooling Technology
Parker Hannifin supported ZutaCore® with knowledge and components for the cooling circuit to develop an innovative two-phase direct-to-chip waterless liquid cooling solution, designed to meet these escalating demands. This collaboration leveraged Parker Hannifin’s advanced engineering capabilities and high-quality components, including the LIQUIfit™ push-in fittings and non-spill Blind-Mate couplers, to enhance the ZutaCore® HyperCool® system.
BENEFITS
Transformative Collaboration in Cooling Solutions
The partnership between Parker Hannifin and ZutaCore® has greatly enhanced cooling systems. The ZutaCore® HyperCool® system efficiently cools CPUs and GPUs over 2800 watts, preventing thermal throttling and allowing higher server densities without large radiators. It reduces cooling energy consumption by up to 82%, cutting CO2 emissions and operating energy by 50%, while nearly eliminating water use and saving millions of gallons daily.
“During the project, Parker shows flexibility in developing tailored solutions for different fluids. For instance, we have already transitioned from FKN to EPDM sealing. This change was necessary due to our switch to a new refrigerant fluid.”
Udi Paret, CBO of ZutaCore®
Watch the Video
Explore how Parker Hannifin is supporting to build sustainable liquid cooling solutions for data centers. Discover the innovative components, like LIQUIfit™ fittings and Blind-Mate couplers, that power ZutaCore®'s advanced two-phase direct-to-chip cooling system.
Key Innovations
Two-Phase Waterless Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling: This system uses a non-electrically conductive fluid that eliminates the risk of damage to IT components, even in the unlikely event of a leak. This fluid's refrigerant nature combined with HyperCool® technology allows higher efficiency than traditional water cooling, enabling the use of smaller, robust fittings and tubings and tinier pumps. Vania Palmisano, Fluid Connectors Account Manager at Parker Hannifin, noted, "This reduces data center complexity, streamlining cooling installations for a sustainable system well-suited for Edge computing environments as well as larger data centers."
Blind-Mate Couplers
Developed in collaboration, these couplers simplify connections between the Heat Rejection Unit (HRU) and servers, allowing quick and easy maintenance without disconnections or leakage. This feature is critical for high-density AI clusters and supercomputing environments where rapid deployment and reliable maintenance are essential. Vania Palmisano remarked, "The disconnection of a rack unit causes no dripping or leakage, allowing safer maintenance operations."
LIQUIfit™ Fittings
These fittings have been meticulously tested for compatibility with the dielectric fluid, ensuring leak-free connections and optimal performance in both liquid and gas phases. Originally used for water cooling and medical flows, these fittings have been adapted for the unique demands of two-phase direct-to-chip cooling solutions.
Results and Benefits
The partnership between Parker Hannifin and ZutaCore® has delivered substantial benefits, particularly in terms of performance, sustainability, and reliability:
Enhanced Performance
The ZutaCore® HyperCool® system can effectively cool CPUs and GPUs consuming up to and beyond 2800 watts, eliminating thermal throttling and supporting next-generation hardware. Udi Paret explained, "The two-phase direct-to-chip cooling system is able to refresh more than 100 kW systems in a rack without requiring a large radiator that would be incompatible with small factor rack servers."
Capable of refreshing over 100 kW systems in a rack without requiring large radiators, allowing for higher server densities and greater compute capacity within the same footprint.
Sustainability
The system reduces cooling energy consumption by up to 82% compared to air-based cooling methods, directly lowering CO2 emissions and supporting global environmental goals. Vania Palmisano highlighted, "The energy required to operate it is 50% less."
The near elimination of water usage for cooling addresses critical environmental concerns, saving millions of gallons of water daily.
Compact design reduces the materials required for construction and operation, contributing to overall sustainability.
Reliability
Parker’s connectors and fittings, rigorously tested for compatibility with the two-phase fluid, ensure leak-free and reliable operation, crucial for maintaining uptime and preventing costly downtime.
Blind-Mate couplers allow for safe and straightforward maintenance operations without system shutdowns or leaks, enhancing operational efficiency.
Future Outlook
The successful partnership between Parker Hannifin and ZutaCore® showcases the potential of co-innovation in addressing the complex challenges of modern data centers. Moving forward, this collaboration is poised to support the integration of renewable energy sources, compliance with stringent environmental standards, and the advancement of next-generation computing technologies. And the partnership grows: Parker is now also coordinating communication and further developments among all stakeholders, including suppliers for the ZutaCore® manifolds.
“Currently, we are testing a new cooling fluid specifically designed for AI data centers. This fluid requires neoprene sealing. We are in the process of validating the new design of LIQUIfit™ and our Quick Disconnects with this seal compound” explains Vania Palmisano.
As AI and supercomputing continue to evolve, the scalable and efficient cooling solutions provided by Parker Hannifin and ZutaCore® will be essential in ensuring that data centers can meet future demands sustainably and reliably, contributing to a greener and more efficient digital future.
ZutaCore® is pioneering the shift toward a zero-emissions data industry with HyperCool®, a direct-to-chip, waterless dielectric liquid cooling solution tailored for mainstream data centers. This innovative two-phase liquid cooling technology allows for sustainable cooling by tripling processing capacity while consuming 50% less energy and halving the space required by conventional cooling systems, all with minimal disruption to data center operations.
Discover more about the products used on the Zutacore application
LIQUIfit™ Push-in Fittings
Manifolds
Tubing
