Cooling Distribution Units Explained

Cooling distribution units, or coolant distribution units, are the devices used to move fluid through liquid cooling systems in data centers. You’ll often find these units in the larger, more complex cooling systems that are responsible for maintaining a consistent temperature across numerous components.

What is a coolant distribution unit?

A vital part of the most efficient and powerful liquid cooling systems, a coolant distribution unit (sometimes known as a CDU), is the part of the system that pumps coolant from one place to another.

In liquid cooling systems, cooling liquid moves through a network of pipes, which allow it to reach the high heat components, servers and processors at risk of overheating and cool them down. The unit comes with valves, to control the movement of coolant liquid, and filters to maintain its quality.

A CDU helps to improve the efficiency of a liquid cooling system and therefore reduce its running costs. It has fast become essential in the fight against the rising temperatures generated by high-density applications.

The benefits of coolant distribution units

CDUs are proving to be enormously useful in today’s data centers, facilitating everything from improved energy efficiency to noise reductions. Here are a few reasons why CDUs are making such a difference in top data centers.

Flexibility: CDUs are inherently flexible. They can be used in a multitude of custom configurations to meet the needs of different businesses.

Easy integration: Coolant distribution units are compatible with existing infrastructure, allowing for a simple integration process with minimal disruption.

Temperature and flow control: CDUs regulate temperature effectively, maintaining a constant temperature to keep all equipment in good condition.

Energy efficiency: Liquid cooling is already energy efficient, but CDUs offer further optimisation here. Pumps reduce the need for energy use, and controls ensure that flow is automatically adjusted according to need.

Redundancy: Cooling distribution units are fitted with a series of pumps that allow for continued operation during maintenance.

Filtration: Filters help to maintain the quality of cooling liquid, keeping the entire system in full working order for as long as possible.

Accessibility: Many units are designed with accessibility in mind. This means that components are easy to access when maintenance is needed, and repairs can be carried out by trained data center staff.

Why do modern data centers need coolant distribution units?

Liquid cooling is now replacing more traditional cooling methods, like air cooling, in many data centers. And that’s down to the surge in AI and HPC we’ve seen in recent years.

As the demand on equipment grows, so too does the amount of heat being generated. It’s a trend that has resulted in the need for an alternative, more cost-effective and energy-efficient cooling method in vast numbers of data centers.

There is some debate over whether all data centers really need liquid cooling right now. But in some cases, air cooling is no longer sufficient to maintain data center temperatures, so liquid cooling is a worthwhile investment.

What are the benefits of liquid cooling?

Liquid cooling systems are more powerful than air cooling options, which is why they’re now being relied upon in high performance computing and data centers facilitating the rise of AI. But there are other advantages to liquid cooling besides its fast and efficient cooling capabilities.

Liquid cooling systems are far quieter than those that use air exclusively, for example. There are fewer fans needed in these systems, with much of the movement of liquid being managed by pumps, which means they’re nowhere near as loud as air cooling systems. Data center employees therefore benefit from reductions in both sound and vibration, creating a more peaceful working environment.

Liquid cooling can be a space-saving solution too. Many of the bulky pieces of equipment that were needed to facilitate air cooling can be removed in data centers making the switch to liquid cooling. Systems can also be packed more densely without running the risk of overheating.

There are other benefits to choosing a data center that offers liquid cooling, too. By doing so businesses are essentially opting for a future-proof setup, safe in the knowledge that if demand does rise over the coming years, their chosen data center has the cooling systems in place to manage any resultant temperature surges and keep equipment in good health.

Liquid cooling is a sustainable option, given the fact that it is more energy-efficient than air cooling. It’s also more cost-effective in the long term, although initial setup costs are higher. Businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint are increasingly making the switch to liquid cooling. It even uses less water than air cooling systems.

 
 
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If you’d like to learn more about liquid cooling and how it works, read our full guide to liquid cooling. For more information on the liquid cooling options available at our data centers, or to discuss your own requirements, get in touch with our team.