Nortek Data Center Cooling: The Hybrid Future of AI Cooling
In an exclusive interview with Data Centre Magazine, Nortek Data Center Cooling's CTO, Thomas Steen, discusses liquid cooling and the C-Force model
TL;DR
- Data center rack power density has significantly increased, with 1 MW racks on the horizon, driven by AI.
- Rigid, one-size-fits-all cooling solutions are becoming obsolete; customisation and adaptability are paramount.
- Liquid cooling offers sustainability benefits by reducing water and energy consumption, depending on the heat rejection strategy.
- Hybrid solutions like Rear-Door Heat Exchangers (RDHX) provide a practical bridge for legacy facilities to adopt liquid cooling incrementally.
- The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of liquid cooling can be lower than air cooling over time, despite potentially higher upfront costs.
- Nortek's C-Force framework embeds engineers into customer workflows for a collaborative, end-to-end approach to cooling solutions.
- Optimising the entire cooling system and thermal chain is key to achieving the greatest efficiency and sustainability gains.