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IBM puts a chill on the datacentre

Michael Singer CNET News

Published: 13 Jul 2005 09:45 BST

IBM released on Tuesday a cooling gadget for datacentres that's designed to extend the abilities of existing air conditioning systems while saving space and money.

The company's "Cool Blue" component (officially known as the IBM eServer Rear Door Heat eXchanger) draws on the supply of chilled water produced by a standard datacentre cooling setup. Every minute, the system circulates 30-38 litres of the water through a 10cm thick back door on a server rack, carrying away heat.

The component, IBM says, lets companies cool additional servers without having to install more floor-space-hogging, and pricey, air conditioning systems.

The Heat eXchanger can remove up to 55 percent of the heat generated in a fully populated rack and then take it out of the datacentre, IBM said. The firm boasts that the product can remove up to 50,000 BTU (thermal units) of heat generated by a full server rack.

Cool Blue is designed to fit on to IBM eServer-class enterprise racks, but the company said the technology can help cool off heat issues caused by other servers in the datacentre as well.

Prices start at $4,299 in the United States, as a stand-alone product. The Heat eXchanger can also be purchased as part of IBM's eServer Cluster 1350, with prices depending on the configuration.