- Liquid cooling is no longer optional, it’s the only way to survive AIS thermal attacks on
- The jump to 400VDC borrows vigorously from supply chains and design logic
- Google’s TPU -Super computers are now running in gigawatt -scale with 99,999% uptime
As the demand for artificial intelligence workload intensifies, the physical infrastructure of data centers is undergoing rapid and radical transformation.
Like Google, Microsoft and Meta now draw on technologies originally designed for electric vehicles (EVs), especially 400VDC systems, to tackle the double challenges of high-density power supply and thermal control.
The new vision is of data center racks capable of delivering up to 1 megawatt power, paired with fluid cooling systems designed to control the resulting heat.
Loan EV Technology for Developing Data Center
The switch to 400VDC Power distribution marks a crucial break from older systems. Google advanced earlier the industry’s move from 12VDC to 48VDC, but the current transition to +/- 400VDC is activated by EV-supply chains and propelled by necessity.
Mt. The Diablo initiative, supported by Meta, Microsoft and Open Compute Project (OCP), aims to standardize interfaces at this voltage level.
Google says this architecture is a pragmatic feature that releases valuable rack space for calculating resources by decoupling power supply from IT racks via AC-to-DC side car units. It also improves efficiency by about 3%.
However, cooling has become an equally urgent problem. With the next generation chips that consume up to 1,000 watts each, traditional air cooling quickly becomes outdated.
Liquid cooling has emerged as the only scalable solution for handling heat in high density environments.
Google has embraced this approach with full -scale implementations; Its fluid-cooled TPU bellows now work on the Gigawatt scale and has delivered 99,999% uptime in the last seven years.
These systems have replaced large cooling plates with compact cold plates, which effectively halved the physical footprint of server hardware and quadrupling of calculation density compared to previous generations.
Despite these technical results, skepticism is justified. Push against 1MW racks is based on the assumption of continuous rising demand, a trend that may not be realized as expected.
While Google’s roadmap highlights AIS growing impact needs – projecting more than 500 kW per day. Tripod in 2030 – It is still uncertain whether these projections will last across the wider market.
It is also worth noting that the integration of EV-related technologies into data centers not only brings efficiency gains, but also new complexities, especially in terms of security and service in high tensions.
Nevertheless, the collaboration between Hyperscalers and Open Hardware Community signalizes a common recognition that existing paradigms are no longer sufficient.
Via Storageerview
