www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I September 2025 31
Feature
The cooling conundrum in high-density data centres The exponential growth of data and AI workloads has driven the need for more powerful servers, which in turn generate significantly more heat. Traditional air-based cooling systems are reaching their limits, prompting a shift toward liquid cooling technologies such as directto-chip and immersion cooling. These methods offer superior thermal performance and energy efficiency, but they also introduce new variables— fluid compatibility, material standards, safety protocols and system interoperability.
At BAC, we’ ve seen firsthand how these challenges manifest in real-world deployments. Our COBALT Immersion Cooling Systems, paired with a full suite of outdoor heat rejection technologies— including evaporative, adiabatic, hybrid and dry coolers— are designed to offer scalable, sustainable solutions.
While immersion cooling systems— such as those using BAC’ s patented Cortex technology— are inherently simpler and more self-contained than direct-to-chip solutions, some degree of custom engineering is still required. This is often due to the reliance on legacy infrastructure and the absence of universal standards for integration. Even with our industry-leading PUE performance(< 1.05), aligning with broader data centre systems can present challenges without standardized guidelines for components and interfaces.
Why standardisation matters Standardisation is not just a technical issue— it’ s a business imperative. Without common guidelines, operators face increased costs, longer deployment times and limited vendor interoperability. For example:
• Direct-to-chip cooling lacks uniformity in cold plate design, fluid connectors and manifold configurations
• Immersion cooling varies widely in tank design, dielectric fluid properties and server compatibility
• Coolant Distribution Units( CDUs) differ significantly in terms of flow rate capacities, control logic and interface protocols, complicating integration with both facility and IT systems
• Monitoring and control systems often operate in silos, complicating data centre management.
These inconsistencies slow innovation and create barriers for smaller players who cannot afford bespoke solutions.
The path forward: collaboration and innovation Despite the hurdles, there is a growing movement toward standardisation. Industry consortia such as the Open Compute Project( OCP) and ASHRAE are working to define guidelines for liquid cooling technologies. BAC actively supports these efforts, contributing to our decades of experience in thermal management and system integration.
Our approach emphasises modularity and flexibility. By offering a range of cooling technologies that can be tailored to site-specific goals— whether optimising for water usage, energy efficiency or footprint— we help bridge the gap between innovation and standardisation. Our systems are designed to be future-ready, supporting increased server rack densities and evolving cooling requirements.
Is standardisation possible? The short answer is yes— but it requires a collective commitment from manufacturers, operators and regulators. Standardisation does not mean one-size-fits-all; rather, it means establishing a common language and framework that enables interoperability, safety and performance benchmarking.
At BAC, we believe that the future of data centre cooling lies in open collaboration and shared innovation. As the industry’ s cooling partner since 1938, we are committed to leading this transformation— developing technologies that not only meet today’ s demands but also pave the way for a more sustainable, standardised tomorrow.
BAC’ s role in shaping the future BAC is actively contributing to this transformation. Our systems are designed with modularity and flexibility, enabling data centres to:
• Scale server rack density without redesign
www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I September 2025 31