DEFINITION
Cooling process using water evaporation without external heat exchange. Key metric for data center efficiency as it significantly reduces mechanical cooling load.
Adiabatic cooling is a thermodynamic process where the temperature of a system is reduced without any transfer of heat from the surroundings. In data center applications, this typically involves using the evaporation of water to pre-cool the air entering the server hall or heat rejection units.
Why It Matters
As data center rack densities increase (often exceeding 50kW per rack for AI workloads), traditional mechanical cooling (chillers) becomes prohibitively expensive and energy-intensive. Adiabatic systems can significantly reduce the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) but introduce a new constraint: water consumption.
Operational Considerations
- Water Quality: High mineral content can lead to scaling on pads or misters, requiring robust filtration or reverse osmosis pretreatment.
- Legionella Risk: Standing water in adiabatic systems requires strict biological control protocols.
- Consumption Metrics: Efficiency is measured via WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness).