How A Direct-To-Chip Liquid Cooling Solution Can Reduce Energy Usage In Data Center Operations

Data centers have become a critical part of daily life. With the advent of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other high-performance computing, or HPC, applications, it’s estimated that global demand for data center capacity could rise at an annual rate of between 19% and 22% from 2023 to 2030 to reach an annual demand of 171 to 219 gigawatts.

As the pressure placed on data center providers increases and facilities grow to accommodate heavier computing loads, their heat load will grow along with them. HPC applications require advanced chips that use more power and generate more heat than traditional servers. This means data center operators will need to find new, more effective ways to manage cooling. 

One solution is direct-to-chip liquid cooling, which brings cooling power directly to the heat source, or server chips, via an integrated loop of piping that circulates coolant through the servers.

Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions, is focused on data center liquid cooling. To protect servers and cooling infrastructure, the company has developed 3D TRASAR technology for direct-to-chip applications. The system provides real-time monitoring of coolant health and other parameters to help data centers maintain efficient and reliable performance.

Ecolab Senior Corporate Account Manager Matt McMullen said that 3D TRASAR monitoring technology has been around for more than two decades, with more than 50,000 systems implemented at customer locations. The company's recent direct-to-chip liquid cooling innovation helps data centers respond to changing operations as they address rising demand for water and energy resources.

3D TRASAR technology uses smart sensors to allow for remote monitoring and reporting to help a variety of cooling operations run efficiently. With this offering and others for cooling water and adiabatic applications, Ecolab can support the entire data center cooling landscape from site to chip.

”We’re leveraging our industry experience across other critical loops to create a best practice around real-time monitoring and control,” McMullen said. “Our approach ultimately helps maximize cooling, optimize water usage and extend the life cycle of critical equipment for data center operators.”

McMullen continued to reflect that data center demand is expected to rise four times its current capacity in the next five years, and it's bringing a lot of stress to its infrastructure. 3D TRASAR technology helps alleviate this burden, particularly through smart water management resources in the data center.

McMullen described smart water management as a holistic approach that looks at a data center’s available water sources and takes into account climate versus cooling options, local regulation and water consumption during power generation.

“Our company looks at all of these factors to determine the best way to leverage the existing water and find out how to leverage it for reduced energy consumption and reliable cooling,” he said.

Data centers require significant power to operate, and newer cooling systems are not only expensive to run but can be even more costly when they go down. McMullen said that finding the best practice for maximizing coolant health and heat transfer efficiencies can minimize the energy needed for cooling and help reduce downtime.  

“By reducing the power use or maintaining lower power use, we can extend the life of the coolant and limit data center downtime,” he said. “Changing a coolant in a critical space is difficult, and we want to avoid a disruption in the data center such as overheating or potential equipment failure.” 

3D TRASAR has already created a positive impact for data centers, particularly through its ability to connect to Water Quality IQ performance insights for cooling water. In 2024, Ecolab collaborated with data center service provider Digital Realty to use AI-driven insights in 35 of Digital Realty’s U.S. facilities for its water-cooling operations.

“Our platform helped focus on a variety of Digital Realty sites to address water-related optimization opportunities,” McMullen said. “When fully implemented, we believe the solution will help avoid the withdrawal of up to 126 million gallons of potable water from local watersheds annually.” 

McMullen said that more data center companies need to think about smart cooling early in the design phase, particularly evaporative cooling. One example is adiabatic cooling. Adiabatic cooling uses the natural process of water evaporation to cool air, reducing the need for mechanical cooling systems like chillers, which lowers operational costs and reduces power usage.

3D TRASAR is available to monitor adiabatic cooling activity as well. McMullen said this will be more widespread for operations over the next 10 years. 

“There's a saying in the industry: The most sustainable data center is the one you didn't build,” McMullen said. “To get more out of each data center, it starts with the design phase and the idea of smart water and evaporative cooling to help lower your PUE.”

McMullen said he believes a smart water management approach will be adopted even more as data center operators look to non-potable water sources to cool their facilities and reduce environmental impact. 

“Like many industries, data centers can leverage reclaimed water while still prioritizing reliable, high-performing operations,” McMullen said. “At Ecolab, we’re not only looking at recycling multiple types of water sources, like rainwater, gray water and black water, but also helping our customers do this in a more sustainable and cost-effective way.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Ecolab and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.