Microsoft uses new server cooling technology to reduce water consumption

 

Microsoft uses new server cooling technology to reduce water consumption

Microsoft has  increased its commitment to saving water and power in its data centers, proposing new cooling technologies and strategies that may push power-hungry servers beyond their current limits. The company's latest environmental commitment comes at a time when it plans to significantly expand the number of data centers it operates around the world, a move that could put more pressure on arid communities unless the company finds a way to reduce water use.

Microsoft plans to reduce water use in its data centers by 95% by 2024, with the goal of "permanently" eliminating water use. This builds on a promise Microsoft made last year, which means it will add more water than it uses in its operations. In 2020, Microsoft also promised to achieve negative carbon growth over the same period, which means that it plans to reduce and store more carbon dioxide than it emits.

But the biggest promise includes the data center. Data centers like Microsoft are cluttered with servers that enable people to store files, send messages, shop online, and play games. All these activities consume a lot of energy and generate heat. Overheating will affect server performance and reliability, but with air conditioning

The use will lead to increased energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It is possible to use water to cool servers, but in many arid regions where data centers operate, water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource.

A typical data center uses the same amount of water as a city of about 30,000 to 40,000 residents, or about 3 to 5 million gallons of water per day. Microsoft's data center currently uses static cooling, which relies on outside air to reduce the internal temperature. This is a system that uses less electricity from air conditioners and less water from cooling towers. But when the temperature rises above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the outside air is useless. At this point, the evaporative cooling system is activated, and water is used. It works like a 'swamp cooler', cooling the air by forcing it through or through a glass strainer moistened with water.

Microsoft revealed today that it plans to rely on two main strategies to achieve its water-saving goals. First, it studied the performance of its servers at higher temperatures and found that it could put higher limits on the time it takes for an evaporative cooling system to start up. In colder regions of the world, including Amsterdam, Dublin, Virginia and Chicago, data centers at these higher latitudes could completely eliminate the need for water in the next few years.

However, Microsoft's data centers are in desert areas, where water shortages are a bigger problem. In order to reduce its water footprint in these hot, dry climates to zero, Microsoft plans to adopt a new method of cooling servers by immersing them in a fluorocarbon-based liquid. When servers are running, the heat they generate causes the liquid to boil when the temperature reaches 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). The boiling liquid removes heat from the server and turns into sublimated steam. The steam hits the cap of the cooling water tank, condenses, and then falls back into the water tank. This process is called two-stage liquid immersion, which creates a closed-loop cooling system that reduces the use of water and electricity while obtaining a cooling effect. 

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