New hybrid chiller is engineered to efficiently and reliably manage increasing AI workloads
Airedale by Modine, the global critical cooling specialists and Modine brand, announced the TurboChill™ 3+MW. This is the latest expansion to the TurboChill™ chiller platform that provides advanced free-cooling, air-cooled chiller heat rejection to meet the high-density cooling demands of next-generation, GPU-powered data centers. The TurboChill™ 3+MW delivers industry-leading heat rejection capabilities and features an expanded operating range for free cooling, reducing the need for mechanical cooling and lowering energy consumption.
"There is speculation that chillers may no longer be required as next‑generation chips are designed to operate at higher temperatures," said Art Laszlo, Group Vice President of Global Data Centers at Modine. "However, customers continue to demand proven cooling and reliability to protect their investments, especially when high performance compute is installed on site. Thermal architectures with dry coolers as the only form of heat rejection are not practical in many regions where varying ambient and recirculation conditions will still require refrigerant-based cooling for reliable data center operations. Airedale by Modine's TurboChill platform delivers an ideal hybrid solution by maximizing free cooling where conditions allow, while deploying mechanical cooling to manage peak heat loads and the reliability customers expect."
Why a Hybrid Approach is Essential
As AI and high-performance compute workloads intensify and push rack densities higher, data center cooling strategies must adapt. TurboChill 3+MW is designed to operate over a wide range of water temperatures common in modern data centers, maximizing free-cooling opportunities in suitable geographies while maintaining precise temperature control for sensitive GPUs. Even as some AI data centers in favorable climates can operate with higher supply water temperatures, global deployments must account for:
- Real-World Conditions: Ambient heat waves, parasitic system loses, and local air recirculation can overwhelm systems that rely solely on high-temperature liquid cooling. Mechanical cooling provides the essential, non-negotiable capacity to handle peak loads and protect against thermal shutdown.
- Data Centers with Different Rack Densities: Data center sites may only convert part of their data center to high density racks capable of running with 45°C inlet fluid temperatures. This means other racks in the same data center need traditional facility water return temperatures to safely operate.
- Operational Risks: Air cooled chiller technology is a proven solution to minimize Data Center WUE and PUE across the globe. Chillers with free cooling provide the benefits of a stand alone dry cooler with the certainty that fluid return temperatures will meet specification regardless of rising global temperatures.
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