Conventional data center cooling techniques relied on loud, energy-intensive computer room air conditioning units. While these systems worked well at the time, evolving technologies like artificial intelligence require massive amounts of computer and data storage resources, which raises data center temperatures to levels beyond what conventional cooling techniques can realistically handle. That’s where water cooling came in.
Keeping that equipment in peak condition is essential for reducing the overall water cooling usage in data centers, lowering operating costs and enhancing performance.
An Overview of Data Center Cooling Water Systems
Your maintenance and upkeep requirements will vary depending on the specific type of cooling system your data center uses. While there are various types of cooling systems that feature different configurations, most systems include the following components:
Chillers: This machine removes heat from the system’s coolant or water pipes. It then circulates that chilled water back to the computer room air handler (CRAH) to extract heat.
Closed loops: This system consists of a closed loop of piping and tubes that contain refrigerant or water. They work by absorbing ambient heat and transporting it outside, and then returning to the chiller to cool back down.
Heat exchangers: These devices transfer heat from the data center’s air to water or refrigerant, cooling the air. The liquid then recycles to the chiller to expel the heat it absorbed, and the cycle begins again.
Cooling towers: This component is a special type of heat exchanger that cools ambient air by bringing it into direct contact with water, as in evaporative cooling.
The Most Common Types of Data Center Water Coolers
There are many different variations of liquid cooling configurations, but only a limited number of them use water as a coolant. Some of the most common data center cooling systems that use water include:
Chilled water system: Many larger data centers use a chilled water system, which cools hot air by exposing it to chilled water flowing from a chiller located in a different part of the building. This system is less energy-efficient than others due to its reliance on a CRAH.
Evaporative cooling: An evaporative cooling system uses a series of water-soaked pads or misters in a cooling tower to expose incoming hot air to cold water. When the two make contact, some of the water evaporates, removing the heat from the air.
Direct-to-chip cooling: This type of cooling system delivers liquid coolant directly to a cold plate on a motherboard’s chip, which extracts the heat from the chip. This heat travels to a chilled water loop, which transports it through the facility to the outside air.
The Importance of Water Quality Management for Data Centers
Just because the water in a data center’s cooling system is not for human consumption doesn’t mean poor water quality is acceptable. Some of the most common equipment issues associated with low quality include:
Corrosion: Left unchecked, corrosion can cause metal surfaces to wear away. This reaction contaminates the water and enables debris to accumulate within the system, leading to performance issues and costly equipment damage.
Scaling: Hard water contains calcium salts like calcium carbonate, which can build up in cooling tower tubes and interrupt performance.
Microorganisms: Bacteria can grow in data center cooling systems, which can lead to microbiologically influenced corrosion that blocks water flow, blinds sensors and renders your cooling equipment ineffective.
Treatment Methods and Preventive Maintenance Tips
Treating your data center’s cooling water and following set preventive maintenance intervals are essential steps for maintaining high performance. That said, every data center is different — which means each one has different maintenance requirements.
Understanding the different treatments you might need to use can help you design a water maintenance plan that works for your data center.
Common Treatments for Data Center Water Quality Issues
If you’re looking for water treatment solutions, you have many different options to choose from depending on the specific problems you want to solve:
Epoxy layering: Applying layers of epoxy between the metal surfaces of your cooling towers and the water provides a barrier against corrosion.
Corrosion inhibitors: Adding chemicals such as orthophosphate or zinc to your data center’s cooling water can reduce your risk of corrosion-related damage.
Chemical treatments: Anti-corrosion chemicals, descalers and biocides can help eliminate material buildup and kill bacteria that can cause serious performance reductions.
Calling a professional water management and treatment service provider can help you determine the most effective solutions for your data center’s specific needs.
Best Practices for Ongoing Maintenance
While early liquid cooling systems were complicated to install and maintain, their modern counterparts are significantly easier to manage. Some essential practices you’ll want to include in your preventive maintenance routine include:
Routine inspections: The frequency with which you should inspect and test your cooling system will depend on the specific risk factors your data center faces. Generally, though, experts recommend testing cooling water at least once quarterly.
Cleaning: Next, it’s time to clean the accessible parts of the system using mild detergents and gentle tools.
Treatments: Finally, you may need to apply water treatments to keep your system operating smoothly. Your inspection will reveal exactly what steps you should take here.
Depending on your needs, you might use one or more of the following cleaning and chemical treatment protocols:
Conductivity monitoring: Water must remain within a specific conductivity range to protect your data center equipment and employees. Frequent conductivity tests reveal the concentration of calcium present in the water, which can help you prevent scaling.
Chemical monitoring: Regular testing will help you ensure the concentration of dissolved chemicals in the water remains within solubility limits, which is essential for preventing contamination buildup.
Blowdown removal: This process eliminates highly concentrated mineral waste, which helps prevent scaling in cooling tower tubes.
pH level management: The more alkaline your water is, the more likely it is to cause corrosion. A water treatment professional can help you keep your system’s pH levels within the safe neutral range.
Keep Your Data Center Water Clean With Chardon Laboratories
Are you looking for expert assistance with managing your data center’s water quality? The team at Chardon Labs is here to help. We deliver all treatment chemicals and equipment directly to your site, so you can minimize downtime.
If needed, we can also install remote monitoring and automated controller systems. When these tools detect declining water quality, they automatically dispense the appropriate treatment chemicals into your water supply for quick, efficient correction.
Matt Welsh is the Vice President and Water Consultant at Chardon Labs. He helps consult a wide range of customers utilizing various methods of water treatment, from chemical to chemical-free approaches, large and small applications, and across a wide range of geographical influences. With 20 years of water treatment experience, including a wide range of troubleshooting and service in potable water and non-potable HVAC and industrial applications, he is an expert in water treatment chemistry for cooling towers, boilers, and closed-loop systems.
