At Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC) in Barcelona, ZTE, a Chinese telecoms firm, unveiled its latest innovation aimed at green data centers: the IceCube, a high-density liquid-cooled cabinet. This innovative solution features plug-and-play connectors tailored for robotic installation, marking a significant advancement in data center cooling technology.

Traditionally, data center operators have been wary of liquid cooling methods due to their perceived invasiveness and the significant changes they would require in existing infrastructure. However, the IceCube addresses these concerns by combining two less invasive cooling techniques: circulating water through the cabinet doors and cold plates adjacent to hot components. These methods can be seamlessly integrated with minimal adjustments to IT hardware, making liquid cooling more accessible and easy to adopt.

The IceCube cabinet boasts a compact design capable of accommodating up to 40 1U servers, utilizing a “zero-gap” deployment approach to maximize rack power consumption, reaching up to 100kW. When integrated into data center operations, this can significantly enhance efficiency, with ZTE estimating a “partial PUE” value of less than 1.1.

One of the key features of the IceCube is its streamlined connection system, ensuring secure water circulation through blind connectors to prevent leaks during equipment installation and replacement. Similarly, the power distribution is simplified with a bus bar, while blind connection systems are implemented for network connectivity.

ZTE’s emphasis on simplified connections not only enhances operational efficiency but also aligns with future requirements for automatic preventive maintenance and robotic operations. This approach streamlines the O&M (operations and maintenance) and delivery processes, offering a promising solution for the evolving needs of data center management.