Products
Expertise by Industry
Case Studies
Knowledge
-
Cooling Water for Data Centres
Effective low maintenance intake screening
High volume intakes screened down to 500 microns
Low maintenance reliable cooling system protection
"Google_Data_Center,_Council_Bluffs_Iowa.jpg" by Chad Davis, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Data Centre Cooling and Energy Efficiency
As relatively new as the data centre sector is, there is an urgent need to move away from the ‘traditional’ data centre cooling method of using evaporation and cooling towers. The exponential growth of AIGC is changing the design of data centres. In spite of the technological advances that have increased their viable operating temperatures, better and more cost-effective cooling systems are needed, increasingly making use of natural water sources.
Keeping Data Cool
Data Centre Cooling
Keeping Cool
Modern data centres are technologically complex, requiring continual close monitoring and management to ensure safe and efficient operation. Critical to this is temperature control.
Data centre cooling dissipates heat generated by computing and other equipment to prevent temperatures rising to levels that can adversely affect performance, efficiency, or that may cause damage.
Data Centre cooling system designs vary, and can incorporate a combination of methods. Modern designs are moving away from conventional air conditioning and evaporative cooling techniques for temperature control in in response to the rapid demand for AI generated content.
Cooling Methods for Data Centres
Cooling methods for data centres have evolved over time, vary according to location and design, and are now advancing rapidly with demands for greater amounts of data.
Typical cooling methods are:
Mechanical air cooling – increasingly a legacy method relying on fans, chillers, and computer room air conditioning. This method consumes significant power relative to the overall power consumption of a data centre.
Liquid cooling - Uses liquids like specially engineered dielectric fluids or warm water to directly transfer heat away from high-density server components. It eliminates the need for massive fans and allows for higher supply temperatures, vastly lowering overhead. This can be used in conjunction with evaporative and free-cooling systems.
Evaporative or Adiabatic cooling - uses water evaporation rather than mechanical air conditioning, (e.g., cooling towers) to cool the data centre.
Free-cooling using air, – uses outside ambient air (in cooler climates) to cool the data centre – limited use depending on season or location.
Free-cooling using natural water - water conducts heat significantly better than air, giving very efficient heat exchange.
A combination of these methods will be used in most modern data centre designs in efforts to increase the power efficiency and water efficiency of the operation.
AIGC
The very sudden and exponentially increasing demand for Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) as the use of AI across all sectors continues to spread is having a massive impact on data centre design, technology and costs. Data centres now have to accommodate far more computing power, and this demand is growing all the time.
The new generation of high-density data centres are characterised by advanced technology, high computing power, and high energy efficiency. Modern data centres have scaled up with higher density AI server clusters. Technological advances allow higher operating temperatures but cooling remains a critical design component.
The relative efficiencies of differing cooling methods are well-understood, and there is a drive towards designing the most power and water efficient data centres, capitalising where possible on natural resources to cut power and water consumption.
Efficiency
The proportion of their power consumption that data centres use for cooling varies depending on the cooling systems used. The increased demands on space and performance have boosted the use of direct and indirect free cooling methods and combined approaches using both closed and open loop systems for heat exchange, as data centres seek to become more and more energy and water efficient.
Standard efficiency measures for different cooling methods are Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) and Water Usage Efficiency (WUE).
Traditional air-con and chilling can use up to 45% of a data centre's overall power consumption.
Liquid Cooling typically uses 10% - 15 % of a data centre's overall power consumption.
Evaporative or Adiabatic cooling 5% - 10% but there is a water loss.
Free-cooling - where natural water is used for cooling - power consumption can be below 5% and as water is returned to source there is little or no water consumption.
Natural Water Intakes
Natural or raw water intakes from lakes, rivers or the sea can provide a most reliable and cost effective coolant for free-cooling systems at data centres.
Natural or raw water provides an effective coolant but must be properly screened before use. Heat exchangers, regardless of design, contain narrow flow passages where cooling water absorbs heat. In plate and frame exchangers, closely packed corrugated plates create turbulent flow and high heat transfer efficiency, but also introduce fine apertures that dictate the required filtration level.
Screens and filters that automatically self-clean are essential for low maintenance and to ensure the smooth running of critical cooling systems.
Any debris or fouling will reduce performance and risk system failure. Filtration requirements are therefore defined by the smallest internal passage, with intake screening typically down to 200 microns or finer, and additional inline filtration often necessary to protect sensitive components such as CDUs.
Screening may also be required to meet environmental and regulatory standards.
Rotorflush Filters Ltd specialises in raw water screening and provides expert guidance on filter selection and application. Rotorflush manufacture and supply a wide range of self-cleaning suction intake screens, raw water intake screens and submersible pumps with self-cleaning intakes, ideal for the management of natural water for cooling applications.
Browse Products
RF800AR Self-cleaning Strainer
RF800AR Self-cleaning Industrial Filters and Strainers. Our RF800AR self-cleaning intake strainers are for attachment to the suction hose of surface mounted pumps. These tough, industrial, all stainless-steel construction mechanical filters can deliver up to 870 m3/hour, 3830 US GPM
- Screen up to 870 m3 / hr, 3830 US GPM
- Filter from 6 mm down to 1 mm
- US Mesh equivalent 3 down to 18
Price from: £13,650
RF600LW Self-cleaning Filters
Self-cleaning Industrial Water Filters and Strainers. The RF600LWs are robust stainless steel self-cleaning basket filters that protect pumps and other equipment from blocking and blinding when pumping dirty water. They are fitted with 1 mm - 6 mm stainless steel mesh screens, handling up to 730 m3/hour, 3,215 US GPM.
- Screen Up to 730 m3 / hr, 3215 US GPM
- Filter From 6 mm Down to 1 mm
Price from: £9,845
RF1000AR Self-cleaning Strainer
RF1000AR Self-cleaning Industrial Water Filters and Strainers. 1000 mm diameter self-cleaning intake strainers for attachment to the suction hose of surface mounted pumps. These tough industrial all stainless-steel construction mechanical filters can deliver up to 1,045 m3/hour, 4,600 US GPM
- Screen up to 1045 m3 / hr, 4600 US GPM
- Filter from 6 mm down to 1 mm
- US Mesh equivalent 3 down to 18
Price from: £0
RF1100AR Self-cleaning Strainer
Self-cleaning Industrial Water Filters and Strainers. RF1100AR self-cleaning intake strainers are for attachment to the suction hose of surface mounted pumps. These tough, 1100 mm diameter, industrial, all stainless-steel construction, mechanical filters can deliver up to 1,265 m3/hour, 5,570 US GPM
- Screen up to 1265 m3 / hr, 5570 US GPM
- Filter from 6 mm down to 1 mm
- US Mesh equivalent 3 down to 18
Price from: £0
RF800LW Self-cleaning Strainers and Eel Screens
Self-cleaning Industrial Water Strainers and Eel Screens. Our RF800LW industrial strength, low maintenance, stainless steel self-cleaning basket strainers protect equipment from blocking and blinding when pumping dirty water. These suction side screens handle up to 1085m3/hour, 4,775 US GPM.
- Screen up to 1085 m3 / hr, 4775 US GPM
- Filter from 6 mm down to 1 mm
- US Mesh 3 down to 18
- Ideal for Fish and Eel Screening
Price from: £10,980
RF1000LW Self-cleaning Intake Strainers and Eel Screens
Self-cleaning Industrial Water Filters & Strainers. RF1000LW Suction Intake Strainers and Eel Screens, 1000 mm in diameter, for use in raw and contaminated water. Industrial strength, low maintenance, all stainless steel self-cleaning basket strainers to prevent blocking and blinding during water abstraction. These intake screens handle up to 1,357 m3 / hour, 5,975 US GPM (when fitted with 2 mm mesh).
- Screen up to 1357 m3 / hr, 5975 US GPM
- Filter from 6 mm down to 1 mm
- US Mesh 3 down to 18
- Ideal for Raw Water Intakes
Price from: £0
RF1100LW Self-cleaning Strainers and Eel Screens
RF1100LW Self-cleaning Strainers and Eel Screens. Our largest standard RF1100LW industrial, stainless steel, self-cleaning strainers (larger bespoke sizes can be made to order). These low maintenance suction side intake screens will handle up to 1642 m3/hour, 7230 US GPM when fitted with 2 mm aperture mesh.
- Screen up to 1642 m3 / hr, 7230 US GPM
- Filter from 6 mm down to 1 mm
- US Mesh 3 down to 18
- Ideal for Fish and Eel Screening
Price from: £0
Cobalt 600 Filterpumps™
Industrial Submersible Water Pumps with a Built-in Self-cleaning Suction Intake Screen. These Rotorflush Cobalt 600 filter pumps are low to medium pressure, robust filter pumps offering high volume pumping and screening - up to 108 m3 / hr, 475 US GPM.
- Maximum Output - 108 m3 / hr, 475 US GPM
- Maximum Head - 30 m, 98 ft
Price from: £16,090
RUBI 600 Filterpumps™
Industrial Submersible Water Pumps with a Built-in Self-cleaning Suction Intake Screen. RUBI Filterpumps™ are extremely tough filter pumps, suitable for heavy industrial applications. They will pump and screen up to 3000 litres a minute, 795 US GPM, and have a maximum head of 13.8 bar.
- Maximum output - 180 m3 / hr
- Maximum head - 138 m
Price from: £0
Talk to an Expert About Your Project
Call us now on 01297 560 229
or Email sales@rotorflush.com
and a member of our expert, friendly team will call you back and find the self-cleaning filter, strainer or filter pump to suit your needs.
- We work with you to identify your issues
- We can design & build a custom solution
- We can deliver our solution worldwide
Use this form to get in touch or send us Feedback about your Rotorflush experience
or Email feedback@rotorflush.com
