Abstract:
With the accelerating increase of cloud-based services, the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data the IT sector is running into a fundamental bottleneck. Indeed, the demand for upscaling the computational power requires even denser server farms, whose thermal management of dissipated heat with conventional air-based cooling is both becoming technically unfeasible, environmentally questionable and economically unbearable. Thus, power/cooling is currently the #1 Data Centre (DC) design criteria.
Asetek’s Direct-To-Chip liquid cooling solutions are based on the fact that water absorbs and conducts heat much more efficiently than air. This directly translates in computational performance gains, since the components can run at speed without overheating or undesired throttling thanks to efficient heat dissipation. Moreover, Asetek’s data centre-oriented liquid cooling solution – RackCDU D2C™, a disruptive server chassis with an integrated liquid piping that transfers heat from CPUs/GPUs and memory modules to flowing liquid through radiator interfaces – can even enable the dissipated heat to be recovered for building heating, thus reducing the cooling energy bill of data centres up to 70%.
In addition, these significant savings are delivered while requiring only a 6% CAPEX increase for new DCs and having a <1 year investment payback time – thus providing a much stronger value proposition than direct competitors. The key market barrier to generate strong pull for RackCDU in the $5bn market of Data Centre cooling technologies is the very conservative and risk-averse mind-set of data centre managers. Thus, the core activities of the project primarily focus on large scale showcasing of RackCDU, which will enable Asetek to thoroughly anchor its communication around a factbased strategy . This will propel our SME growth over the next decade, posing a potential business revenue stream allowing to graduate from its SME status within the first 5-years post-project.
Work Package objectives (abbreviated where required for confidentiality):
Work Package 1 - Project Management
Objectives:
- Ensure an efficient administrative execution of the project, so that all knowledge created is managed in a coordinated and coherent manner, and that all technical activities, financial and legal aspects are managed to a high standard.
- Ensure that all aspects of the EC requirements for communication and reporting are fulfilled.
- Overall management of the activities within the project, including risk management and contingency planning.
Work Package 2 - Demonstration & Showcasing
Objectives:
- Showcase the performance of the solution in a large demonstration.
- Thoroughly document the economic, environmental and operational advantages and benefits of our solution.
- Gather objective and quantitative evidence to support communication strategy.
Work Package 3 - Strategic cooperation & Business setup
Objectives:
- Advance the strategic partnership on specific parameters.
- Use commercial channels integrate Asetek’s technology.
Work Package 4 - Production upscaling & Market intelligence
Objectives:
- Prepare the required production challenges.
- Optimize the logistics in the supply and distribution chains.
- Untap business synergies throughout the value chain to increase profit margins for all involved players.
Work Package 5 - Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication
Objectives:
- Update the business plan.
- To develop a Dissemination and Communication Strategy that will enable dissemination/communication of the project results.
- Increase the societal awareness around the importance of efficient energy management within data centres in order to minimize their environmental footprint while empowering citizens to live in ever increasingly connected world.
