Vertiv, an international provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, reports acute, time-sensitive demand for artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities while concurrently facing external pressures to reduce energy consumption, costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
As the data centre sector looks ahead to 2024, the escalation of AI, its infrastructure, and sustainability challenges, which Vertiv had anticipated two years earlier, poses a growing influence on data centre trends.
It has been announced that Vertiv is joining forces with Intel, a pioneer in the creation of innovative technology. The collaboration is set to produce a liquid cooling solution in support of the forthcoming Intel Gaudi3 AI accelerator, due to be launched in 2024.
Artificial intelligence applications and high-performance computing see a rise in emitted heat, and organisations are turning towards liquid cooling solutions for more effective and eco-friendly cooling alternatives.
The Intel Gaudi3 AI accelerator will offer compatibility with both liquid-cooled and air-cooled servers, supported by a Vertiv-pumped two-phase (P2P) cooling infrastructure. The liquid-cooled solution has reached test levels of up to 160kW accelerator power using facility water from 17C up to 45C. The air-cooled solution has been tested with a heat load of up to 40kW, showing it can be efficiently deployed in warm ambient air data centres up to 35C.
The innovative medium pressure direct P2P refrigerant-based cooling solution will support customers with heat reuse, warm water cooling, free air cooling and reductions in power usage effectiveness (PUE), water usage effectiveness (WUE) and the total cost of ownership (TCO).
John Niemann, Senior Vice President of the Global Thermal Line of Business at Vertiv, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration with Intel, particularly emphasising the Intel Gaudi3 AI accelerator as an ideal solution for this partnership.
Niemann highlighted Vertiv's ongoing efforts to broaden its liquid cooling portfolio, enabling robust support for leaders in next-generation AI technologies, such as Intel. Vertiv aims to facilitate the rapid and reliable adoption of AI for its customers, simultaneously assisting them in reaching their sustainability objectives.
John Niemann said: "The Intel Gaudi3 AI accelerator provides the ideal solution for a Vertiv and Intel collaboration."
"Vertiv continues to expand our broad liquid cooling portfolio, resulting in our ability to support leaders of next-generation AI technologies, like Intel. Vertiv helps customers accelerate the adoption of AI quickly and reliably, while also helping them achieve their sustainability goals."
Dr Devdatta Kulkarni, Principal Engineer and Lead Thermal Engineer on this project at Intel, further added, "The computing required for AI workloads has put a spotlight on performance, cost, and energy efficiency as prime concerns for enterprises today."
"To cater to the increasing thermal design power and heat flux for next-generation accelerators, Intel has joined forces with Vertiv and other ecosystem partners to facilitate an inventive cooling solution. This solution will be crucial in aiding customers in meeting significant sustainability goals."