Iceotope does not produce its own dielectric fluid, we work with a range of leading global suppliers to test and validate fluid performance in our systems. Iceotope focuses on the use of fluids which are people and planet safe, with compelling sustainable profile. We are proud to have led the way in developing a comprehensive fluid approval program with leading fluid vendors to ensure complete confidence in our solutions. To find out more click here.

No, not for common things like swapping memory. Most components can be serviced just like a normal air-cooled server without draining fluid from the chassis. Check out our servicing video here to see how simple it is to access components. 

Precision Liquid Cooling uses a precise amount of dielectric fluid which enables us to deliver the exact amount of fluid to the hottest components first and maximise the effectiveness of the fluid. The amount used depends on server type and chassis size but for comparison we typically use 5-10x less than a single-phase tank solution and we cool the server more effectively. 

We do not need to use phase change to cool even the most powerful processors. Iceotope Precision Liquid Cooling technology is best-in-class in providing enhanced cooling performance without needing to use low boiling point fluids which evaporate quickly at room temperature and may have detrimental environmental and health impacts. The dielectric fluids we select have very high boiling points, so cooling is achieved in the liquid phase. Even if the chassis was left open for a long time, the dielectric fluid does not evaporate to any measurable degree. Find out just how effective our single-phase cooling technology is by clicking here.

In standard operation the temperature of the dielectric fluid will be between 40- and 50-degrees C. The temperature can vary based on the power of the system and the temperature of the water-based coolant supplied to the chassis, from the facility in the case of KUL 2 or the air temperature in the case of KUL RAN. The enhanced cooling properties of the dielectric fluid vs air means that the server components can be cooled more effectively even when the fluid is at these elevated temperatures, this phenomenon is at the core of what makes Iceotope systems so effective and energy efficient. 

Yes, each Iceotope chassis contains a range of sensors including fluid temperatures, fluid fill level, pump speeds and RPM alongside normal integrated server sensors, which combine into a system health status. The normal management port from the server inside is also presented on the front of the chassis, these can be utilised by facility infrastructure management systems to monitor and maintain, just as air cooled solutions are today. 

Yes, the power AC–DC power supplies are modified along with the rest of the server and are precision cooled in the same way as the other components. 

Yes, in a good way. The coolant creates a protective environment for the servers, allowing them to perform better and last longer. Iceotope has invested significant time into validating system performance and have recorded computational performance enhancements, resilience improvements and significant reduction in energy consumption, for more information click here.

All our solutions are sustainable, serviceable and scalable, providing significant TCO impact to the end user. We combine the most effective thermal management principles of direct-to-chip cold plates with the effective total heat capture of tank-based solutions, yet with the ability to deploy and maintain in a high-density rack and chassis-based form factor that the industry is built around today. We cool everything and capture almost 100% of the thermal energy from the components which can be re-used or rejected in the most energy efficient way possible. Compared to other solutions, Iceotope makes component swaps and upgrades as easy as possible for service technicians whilst supporting sustainability and low operating costs for the wider organization.

Yes, each KUL 2 chassis contains its own isolated volume of dielectric coolant. Each chassis may be filled or drained independently of another chassis above or below which can continue to be operated as normal, preserving maximum computational uptime for the overall system. Find out more by clicking here.

Iceotope standard design point is up to 40C inlet to rack – this is a balance point between the thermal efficiency of the system and the size and cost of components that are required to transfer thermal load effectively in consideration of TCO impacts. Clients may have lower water delivery temperatures they want to use due to the repurposing of legacy water distribution infrastructure from air-cooled installations. Our experienced team can assist in matching the flow rate and temperature that is available from the facility, with a suitable TCS loop design incorporating CDU and quantity of Iceotope racks. 

With a temperate inlet of 40C to the rack, normally the outlet will be between 43-47C depending on the power of the servers in the KUL 2 Chassis.

There are a range of options for TCS coolant depending on the specific deployment type. These can include water plus biocides with corrosion inhibitors or Ethylene/propylene glycol-based coolants which offer freeze protection in edge locations if required. The construction materials of Iceotope systems are typically broadly compatible. There are industry best practice guidelines which assist in determining appropriate coolants and Iceotope can assist based on your specific scenario, contact us for more information.  

In general, it is advisable to use a CDU for a multi-rack deployment as part of an isolated TCS loop, a single in row CDU with redundant pumps may support up to 20 Iceotope KUL 2 racks. When a CDU is connected to a larger facility water loop (FWS), it provides the ability to hydraulically isolate a number of racks into maintainable ‘blocks’ and form a larger facility loop which may be operating at high pressure, connected to other incompatible systems and the water may also be outside of specification in terms of temperature and cleanliness. Iceotope works with a range of leading CDU suppliers and can offer input based on your specific requirements. Find out more about industry best practice by clicking here. In specific circumstances it may be possible to mitigate the need for a CDU, for example when there is an isolated system which will not be exposed to a large-scale facility FWS loop. Contact us for further information.  

Yes, absolutely. One of the key advantages of Iceotope’s rack-based solution is the ability to mount air-cooled equipment within the same rack. Iceotope understands that the transition from air-cooling to Precision Liquid Cooling may be phased and have minimized any obstruction to air flow through the rack from front to rear to support the ability to mount low power air cooled servers, switches and storage. Iceotope supplies 21” to 19” rail adaptation kits to allow air cooled equipment to fit in KUL 2 racks. 

The current generation KUL 2 platform is rated at 50kW per 48U rack at 40C water inlet temperature. Our studies have shown that this is a 6X density uplift on single phase tank immersion and a similar uplift on traditional air-cooled technologies when taking aisle spacing into consideration at equivalent water temperatures. Using cooler water temperatures and purpose optimized hardware could increase each rack capacity well beyond 100kW. 

Today, most IT equipment is designed for air cooling. The maximum power, spacing and orientation of components inside the server chassis means there is a limit on practical power density based on cooling performance which scales out to rack level. Outside of the rack, the amount of air available from the facility to each rack and server also limits the practical power limit, either fewer higher power servers or many low power servers take up what the facility can provide. If all servers are high spec, such as GPU rich AI systems, then the facility would likely need to direct more of its available cooling capacity at those racks impacting other racks to be of lower capacity. Precision Liquid Cooling overcomes these limitations by enabling high power density server designs and rack configurations which are not limited by air handling constraints.