By: Wojtek Piorko - managing director – Africa, Vertiv

The demand for data centres in Africa is growing, driven by several factors. These include government regulations for local data security, an increasing demand for cloud computing among small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), and growing investment by domestic players. In turn, as the data centre industry develops across the continent, furtherfuelled by the ongoing rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) and the related need for increasing rack densities, this also brings with it escalating cooling requirements.

While there are a number of data centre cooling technologies that are already tried and trusted, including air cooling, direct-to-chip cooling and immersion cooling, these could offer exciting opportunities for noteworthy improvements in data centre energy efficiency. 

Immersion cooling – a cooling concept that submerges server equipment in a cooling fluid to moderate and control its temperature - is a highly efficient cooling method that should significantly reduce energy consumption when compared to traditional air-cooling systems. While still a relatively new technology in Africa, liquid and immersion cooling are expected to gain traction locally, offering a real potential to revolutionise data centre cooling on the continent. 

The advantages of thermally conductive dielectric fluids

Immersion cooling is a liquid cooling technology in which servers and other rack components are submerged in a thermally conductive dielectric liquid or fluid within a sealed tank. This liquid, selected for its excellent thermal transfer properties, absorbs heat from IT equipment for efficient HPC cooling. The benefits of immersion cooling include the following:

·       Server immersion cooling helps to dissipate heat and keep components like central processing units (CPUs) performing optimally. 

·       Liquid and immersion cooling systems have been proven to be more efficient than traditional air conditioning data centre cooling methods, due to the increased thermal conductivity of most liquids compared to air.

·       The dielectric liquid enveloping the server components, while being thermally conductive, is critically not electrically conductive, meaning that the fluid will not disrupt the function of electrical components within these servers.

Immersion cooling absorbs 100 percent of the heat from the server components, as they are fully submerged in the fluid, minimising the need for air cooling units and reducing heat transfer steps. However, room cooling units remain essential in a data centre to cool any equipment and heat loads that are not addressed by direct liquid cooling. Air quality and humidity are regulated using a filtration system to prevent dust build-up, facilitate clean air circulation and filter fresh air introduced, maintaining breathable conditions.

As an added benefit, liquid cooling systems should also offer a quieter data centre environment. Unlike the noise prevalent in air-cooled centres due to extensive air recirculation, liquid cooling is predominantly silent, with only the soft hum of pumps, significantly reducing overall noise levels. 

Immersion cooling: the right solution for your data centre?

Choosing the most beneficial cooling solution for your data centre is critical, because data centres use significant amounts of energy during operation and generate large amounts of heat in turn. Overheating can damage server equipment, potentially leading to unwanted downtime, while overheated computer equipment can also create premature failures

Immersion cooling can enhance data centre performance by efficiently managing high heat outputs. In HPC and AI workloads, immersion cooling systems can deliver cooling capacities exceeding 200kW per tank (42 or 52 rack units). This technology can thus provide an effective solution for intense computational demands in a reduced footprint.

As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, the demand for efficient, scalable and reliable data centre cooling solutions will only increase. Liquid and immersion cooling technologies present a powerful complement to traditional cooling methods, offering superior efficiency, reduced environmental impact and the ability to support high-density computing and AI applications.