Refroid Technologies, a leader in innovative cooling solutions for data centers, has introduced the industry’s first hybrid load bank specifically designed for Direct Contact Liquid Cooling (DCLC) systems. This groundbreaking technology allows data center operators, OEMs, and system integrators to rigorously test and optimize their liquid cooling infrastructure by simultaneously simulating both liquid-side and airside loads.
Traditional load banks, primarily designed for air-cooled systems, have significant limitations when it comes to testing data centers utilizing Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling (DCLC). Refroid’s hybrid load bank offers a robust solution to bridge this gap, providing a more efficient and accurate testing environment for these advanced cooling setups.
By replicating real-world IT workloads, the hybrid load bank ensures that heat loads transferred to the liquid cooling loop are thoroughly validated. This allows for a comprehensive assessment of the thermal infrastructure at the rack level, ensuring reliability and optimal performance before full-scale deployment.
In addition to simulating real-world IT workloads, the load bank is also capable of mimicking airside loads. This feature is particularly valuable for hybrid environments where DCLC is integrated alongside traditional air-cooling systems. With this capability, data center operators can test both cooling mechanisms simultaneously, ensuring that the two systems work in tandem effectively. This makes it an essential tool for data centers transitioning from air-cooled systems to more efficient liquid cooling solutions.
One of the key advantages of Refroid’s hybrid load bank is its ability to optimize critical performance metrics. The system allows operators to assess Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), coolant flow rates, and thermal efficiency before deploying live IT hardware.
These metrics are crucial in understanding the overall efficiency of a cooling system and ensuring that the data center operates at peak performance once it is fully functional. By testing these parameters in a controlled environment, the load bank helps data center operators identify and address potential issues early in the process.
As the adoption of liquid cooling systems grows, particularly in high-density computing workloads, the need for accurate and scalable testing solutions has never been more pressing. Refroid’s hybrid load bank is designed to meet this need by offering a flexible and scalable solution that can be deployed in various configurations. It can be easily installed in place of IT server racks to simulate aisle-level thermal loading, allowing data centers to test different liquid-to-air thermal load ratios at both the rack and server levels (such as 60:40, 70:30, or 80:20). This level of flexibility ensures that the system can be adapted to meet the specific cooling needs of any data center setup.
Beyond its ease of deployment, the hybrid load bank offers comprehensive performance analysis capabilities. It allows operators to evaluate heat removal efficiency under different workloads, ensuring that the liquid cooling system performs optimally in various conditions. This detailed analysis helps to identify potential cooling inefficiencies before the installation of live IT hardware, significantly reducing the risk of operational failures. By uncovering these inefficiencies early, the hybrid load bank minimizes the chances of costly mistakes and ensures smoother deployment.
Finally, Refroid’s hybrid load bank ensures compliance with emerging thermal management standards, which is essential as the industry continues to evolve. As liquid cooling becomes more widespread and new regulations are put in place, this system helps data centers stay ahead of the curve. Additionally, the hybrid load bank supports future-proof cooling solutions, making it a long-term investment for data centers looking to stay competitive and maintain efficient operations. With the flexibility, performance insights, and compliance features it offers, this load bank is an indispensable tool for the modern data center landscape.
“With this product, we’re addressing a key challenge in the liquid cooling industry—effective pre-deployment testing,” said Satya Bhavaraju, CEO of Refroid Technologies. “By simulating both liquid-side and airside thermal loads at the same time, we empower data centers to fine-tune their cooling strategies, reduce risks, and optimize energy efficiency.”
Headquartered in Hyderabad, India, Refroid Technologies is a pioneer in the liquid cooling space. Specializing in advanced cooling solutions such as DCLC and Liquid Immersion Cooling, Refroid’s innovations are designed to improve energy efficiency, achieving a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of less than 1.05.
