Innovative Dual Cooling System Design for AI Data Center in Houston
Vertiv Liebert XDU1350 Cooling Distribution Unit (CDU) (Image Credit: Vertiv)
Category: Data Center
Services Provided: HVAC, Plumbing
Completion Date: June 2024
Owner: Undisclosed
Contractor(s): D. Webber Consulting
Project Description
Pragmatic Professional Engineers delivered cutting-edge HVAC and plumbing solutions for an artificial intelligence (AI) rack data center in Houston, ensuring robust and efficient infrastructure to support critical operations.
Pragmatic PE was responsible for the HVAC, plumbing, and energy modeling scopes of work. The design incorporated a resilient air-cooled chilled fluid system with N+1 redundancy and advanced Motivair Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) for liquid cooling to maintain peak performance and reliability. Both liquid and air-cooling methods were employed to optimize the data center's cooling efficiency.
The HVAC system features ten 500-ton Carrier air-cooled chillers, utilizing a 25% Propylene-Glycol mixture to meet the purity requirements of the water-cooled servers on the secondary loop and to prevent freezing during winter on the primary loop. This setup is crucial for the data center's operations, which include 72 server racks and multiple test stations.
The plumbing system features dedicated drainage troughs and pipelines for fluid replacement during maintenance, ensuring efficient and safe operation. The hydronic and plumbing systems’ use of carbon steel and stainless steel piping prevents galvanic corrosion, contributing to the system's durability.
A hot aisle/cold aisle containment strategy was implemented to optimize airflow and prevent mixing, essential for maintaining specified indoor conditions. The data center is equipped with Computer Room Air Handling (CRAH) units with MERV-13 filters, all monitored via the Building Management System (BMS).
The project successfully delivered a high-performance, energy-efficient cooling system tailored to the data center's demanding requirements. The advanced HVAC and plumbing solutions, incorporating both liquid cooling with Motivair CDUs and air cooling, significantly enhance the facility's reliability and efficiency, ensuring optimal conditions for critical equipment. This project underscores Pragmatic PE's expertise in designing high density power systems for data centers.