Data Center Liquid Cooling Revolution: How to Achieve Both Equipment Protection and Energy Consumption Reduction with Ultra-Low Conductivity Cooling Water?

Introduction: Conductivity Challenges in the Era of Data Center Liquid Cooling

 With the exponential growth of computing power demand in data centers around the world, liquid cooling technology (especially submerged and cold plate liquid cooling) is becoming a core solution to reduce PUE. However, the purity requirements of liquid cooling systems for cooling water are almost demanding - the conductivity needs to be stably lower than 5μS/cm, otherwise it will lead to corrosion of metal parts of servers, soaring risk of short circuits, and out-of-control operation and maintenance costs. In this paper, we will deeply analyze the path to achieve ultra-low conductivity cooling water, and share a cloud computing center through reverse osmosis + mixed bed process to reduce energy consumption by 20% of the actual case.

I. Why data center cooling water must be “ultra-low conductivity”?

1.1. The direct correlation between corrosion risk and conductivity

 Cooling water conductivity essentially reflects the concentration of dissolved ions (such as Cl-, SO₄²-, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) in the water. When the conductivity > 5μS/cm:

 • Electrochemical corrosion is accelerated: ions form microcells as electrolytes, leading to pitting of copper, aluminum and other metal parts;

 • Scaling and biological pollution: calcium and magnesium ions precipitate to form scale, and microorganisms multiply and intensify in ionic environments;

 • Degradation of insulation: high conductivity water may trigger leakage or even short-circuiting when it comes into contact with circuit boards.

1.2. Liquid cooling system sensitivity amplifies the risk

Compared with the traditional air-cooled, liquid-cooled system is in direct contact with the server heat source, the cooling water circulation path is shorter, the flow rate is faster, once the water quality does not meet the standard, corrosion and contamination will lead to equipment failure in a few weeks.

II. Reverse osmosis + Mixed bed ion exchange: the core process to achieve ultra-low conductivity

2.1 Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination: the first high-efficiency barrier

1. Principle: more than 95% of dissolved salts are retained by semi-permeable membrane under high pressure, and the conductivity of produced water can be reduced to 10-50μS/cm.

2. Advantages:

       • Remove more than 99% of bacteria, viruses and organic matter;

       • Modular design to meet the needs of data centers of different sizes;

       • Running cost is only 1/3 of distillation.

Limitations: unable to completely remove weak electrolytes (e.g., CO₂, silica), and need to be supplemented by subsequent processes.

2.2 Mixed Bed Ion Exchange (MBDI): ultimate purification stage

1. Principle: cation resin (H⁺ type) mixed with anion resin (OH-type), the residual ion concentration in the water is reduced to ppb level through ion replacement, and the conductivity of the produced water is <0.1μS/cm.

2. Advantages:

       • Deep desalination, ensuring the stability of the conductivity of the cooling water is <5μS/cm;

       • Renewable resins to reduce the long-term cost;

       • Fast response speed, adapt to water quality fluctuations.

Combined process value: RO to undertake the main task of desalination, MBDI as a “fine treatment” unit, the two synergistic realization of efficient and economical production of ultrapure water.

III. The actual case: a cloud computing center to reduce cooling energy consumption by 20% of the secret

3.1 Project background

 A global TOP3 cloud computing center is located in the tropical region, the original open cooling tower + chemical dosing process, but faced with:

 • Cooling water conductivity fluctuates at 10-20μS/cm, and the equipment corrosion rate is as high as 0.2mm/year;

 • The high temperature in summer leads to cooling energy consumption accounting for 45% of the overall energy consumption, and the PUE value reaches 1.6.

3.2 Retrofit Solution

Deploy reverse osmosis (RO) + mixed-bed ion exchange system, and integrate intelligent monitoring module:

 • RO system: adopting anti-pollution membrane elements, the recovery rate is increased to 75%, and the conductivity of produced water is ≤15μS/cm;

 • MBDI system: configuring online conductivity monitoring and automatic regeneration function, ensuring the stability of produced water <0.5μS/cm;

 • Closed-loop management: real-time tracking of water quality parameters through the Internet of Things platform, early warning of potential risks.

3.3 Modification effect

 • Reduced energy consumption: cooling system energy consumption decreased by 20%, PUE optimized to 1.35;

 • Extended equipment life: corrosion rate reduced to 0.02mm/year, maintenance cycle extended from 3 months to 18 months;

 • Cost recovery: through energy saving and loss reduction, the project return on investment cycle is only 2.3 years.

IV. The market opportunities under the wave of global data center liquid cooling

4.1 Liquid cooling technology popularization drives the demand for high purity water

 According to IDC forecasts, the global liquid cooling data center market size will exceed 120 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 25%. Ultra-low conductivity cooling water as liquid cooling system “blood”, the preparation equipment market will synchronize the outbreak.

4.2. Reverse osmosis + mixed bed process competitive advantages

 • Environmental protection: replace the traditional chemical dosing method, reduce wastewater discharge and the risk of hazardous chemicals management;

 • Economy: long-term operating costs are 40% lower than distillation, suitable for large-scale deployment;

 • Flexibility: modular design can be quickly adapted to the new data centers or the transformation of old facilities.

 Act Now: Click to get the Data Center Ultrapure Water System Selection Guide to unlock the high-growth business opportunities in the liquid-cooled era!