Vesper Technologies (Vespertec) has unveiled a state-of-the-art 50U XCI immersion cooling solution at Durham University in collaboration with Midas Immersion Cooling. This deployment is part of Durham’s Immersion Cooling and Heat Storage (ICHS) Living Lab, which investigates the synergy between immersion cooling and heat storage.
Durham University will harness the Midas 50U XCI system to aid its graduates in undertaking highly complex simulations and extensive AI processing tasks. Designed to meet the university's stringent performance and sustainability needs, the system replaces traditional air-cooled racks with a compact tank that's key to handling extensive heat output.
The partnership with Durham's IT and facilities teams allowed Vespertec to integrate hardware from GIGABYTE and leverage advanced cooling fluids from Valvoline Global. This meticulous arrangement contributes to a seamless and advanced high-performance computing environment.
Central to the innovation is the immersion of hardware in liquid cooling fluids, a method proving significantly more efficient than air. This reduces energy consumption for cooling, optimising performance resources. It’s a model that not only supports demanding computational workloads but does so with minimal environmental impact.
The forward-looking project will soon explore heat recapture, establishing a live testbed for sustainable advancements. Meanwhile, Vespertec’s AI Lab in Stockport mirrors this setup, enabling the firm to provide ongoing expertise and support, ensuring seamless functionality throughout the lifecycle.
Scott Constable, Alliance Director at Vespertec said, "This partnership is a great example of how academia and industry can come together to tackle both computational and environmental challenges. Together with Durham University, we were able to demonstrate the potential of Midas' immersion technology in a research environment and establish a concrete reference point for others exploring new ways to cut CO2 impact and advance data centre innovation."
Strategically, this project is aimed at refining the approach to sustainability in high-performance environments. It positions Durham University as a spearhead in advancing the sustainability shift within tech-oriented research spaces.
