UT-Arlington Researchers Develop Water-Free Cooling System for Data Centers Amid Texas Water Crisis

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Graduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington are working on an innovative cooling system for data centers that uses chemical refrigerants instead of water. This development comes as Texas faces water scarcity concerns due to the rapid growth of data centers in the state.

Innovative Cooling Solution for Data Centers

Graduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington are developing a groundbreaking solution to one of the tech industry's most pressing challenges: cooling data centers without depleting valuable water resources. Doctoral candidate Sai Abhideep Pundla and his colleague Braxton J. Smith are testing a system that uses a recirculating chemical refrigerant instead of water to cool computer servers

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Texas Water Crisis and Data Center Growth

This innovation comes at a critical time for Texas, which is experiencing rapid growth in its data center industry. The state currently hosts over 400 data center facilities, with approximately 70 more in development

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. These massive facilities, some as large as New York's Central Park, are expected to consume millions of gallons of water annually in a state already grappling with water scarcity.

According to estimates from the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), existing data centers in Texas will consume about 25 billion gallons of water by 2025, accounting for 0.4% of the state's total water use. By 2030, this could increase to 2.7% of Texas' annual water consumption, equivalent to the water usage of 1.3 million average U.S. households

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Environmental and Regulatory Concerns

The rapid expansion of data centers has raised concerns about water management and environmental impact. In the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo residents have organized opposition to planned data centers due to potential risks to the Ogallala Aquifer, a critical water source already being depleted faster than it can be replenished

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Other states are taking regulatory action to address these concerns. California has passed a bill requiring new data centers to report projected water use before beginning operations, while Minnesota mandates that data center developers consult with the state's environmental agency to ensure adequate water supply

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The Future of Data Center Cooling

As the industry develops more powerful computing systems that require increased electricity and generate more heat, the need for efficient cooling solutions becomes paramount. The prototype developed by Pundla and Smith at UT-Arlington offers a promising alternative, using vapor from a special liquid to cool the system without water

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With the recent announcement of a $500 billion federal initiative called Stargate to build AI data centers in Texas, the urgency to find sustainable cooling solutions has never been greater. As Pundla's engineering professor Dereje Agonafer notes, without smarter cooling technologies, this massive expansion could come at a steep environmental cost

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