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Chindata Group, a leader in carrier-neutral hyperscale data centre solutions, and Vertiv Technology jointly released details of the world’s first waterless cooling technology during the 2022 China Computing Conference. Called X-Cooling, the solution enables data centres to achieve zero WUE cooling, setting a new benchmark for the industry. Leveraging this technology will promote sustainability across the entire industry and lead to further innovation in the development of more efficient data centres.

Speaking at the 2022 China Computing Conference, Zhang Binghua, CTO at Chindata Group, said, “Carbon emissions, water and energy use are three areas which present a fundamental challenge for data centers. Together with the technical research and supply chain integration expertise of our partner Vertiv Technology, Chindata Group is very pleased to release details of X-Cooling, the world’s first waterless cooling technology. We believe this major innovation in the reduction of power usage effectiveness (PUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) for cooling will bring about a new paradigm for the development of green and other low-carbon technologies, enabling better use of land, energy and water. At Chindata Group, we are passionate about promoting sustainability and efficient energy use.”

As the world becomes more and more digitised, there is an increasing reliance on data centres and computing power to operate the growing digital economy. In storing massive amounts of data, data centers generate a large amount of heat, which has traditionally been dispersed by using water. As a result, data centres are commonly located in areas where both power and water supply are plentiful and cheap. This greatly narrows the range of suitable locations and puts more strain on existing centers to grow larger.

X-Cooling realises waterless cooling through a complex coordination of software controllers and hardware induction technology which matches ambient temperatures to generate a natural cooling process that reduces energy consumption. The technology can also be fully adjusted to accommodate changing outdoor environments and indoor load changes. In addition, it features different operating modes to ensure better efficiency. The cooperation between software and hardware allows for real-time mapping of air volumes and cooling volumes. The technology can also ensure consistent operation with a one-click on/off switch in case of emergencies.

Compared with commonly used indirect evaporative air handling unit (AHU) technology, in rigorous testing scenarios, X-Cooling was able to achieve a pPUE <1.1 and WUE of 0. Per 100MW data centre in Hebei, switching to X-Cooling waterless cooling has the potential to save 1.2 million tons of water per year, which is equivalent to annual average water consumption of 10,000 four-person households. With energy and water use a growing concern for many industries and governments, X-Cooling offers a solution for supporting sustainable growth of the digital economy.

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