The operator begins by explaining that, in recent years, it has deployed the free cooling system in thousands of buildings and radio base stations. Basically, it kicks in when the temperatures are low. In this case, they take advantage of the external air to cool the equipment and servers and reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. Although it seems like a perfect system, the truth is that it does not work in all cases and its implementation does not totally eliminate the use of cooling systems, especially on the hottest days of the year.
Liquid immersion cooling
Therefore, today they have implemented a solution developed by Submer that uses “A new liquid cooling technique to significantly improve energy efficiency by up to 50%, reduce carbon emissions from the use of refrigerant gases, reduce the footprint and improve the total cost (TCO) of data centers.”
Unlike traditional solutions, in which air is used, in this technology we have to immerse servers in tanks with a non-conductive liquid of electricity which improves heat transfer, non-toxic and biodegradable. This fluid absorbs and dissipates heat when it comes into contact with server chips that operate between 70 and 90 degrees of temperature. Finally, this solution also eliminates the use of refrigerant gas that is associated with carbon emissions.
In the deployment carried out at the Bellas Vistas plant we have a team Smartpod from Submer, rated at 50kW that meets the TIER III reliability requirements defined by Uptime. Storage and processing servers, as well as communication equipment, have been submerged here.
Enrique Blanco, Chief Technology & Information Officer (CTIO) of Telefónica, explained that “Sustainability criteria are essential for Telefónica when choosing any technology to incorporate into our networks and systems. Our goal is to provide excellent connectivity while doing it efficiently, with low energy use and reduced carbon emissions. The liquid immersion cooling solution will allow us to continue to control energy consumption while traffic grows exponentially ”.