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CNIDC Liquid Cooling Control Period Guide
When liquid cooling technology became the only way to break through the bottleneck of power density in the data center, the construction of its supporting automatic control system became the tightest string in the heart of the project general contractor. Deviation in the construction period estimate may affect the project acceptance and payment back, or delay the launch of customer business, making the loss difficult to measure. This paper aims to peel off the fog of the construction cycle of liquid-cooling automatic control systems and provide a practical reference guide for computer room builders.
The essence of a liquid-cooling automatic control system is to build a digital twin that can perceive, think, and execute. It "senses" the temperature, flow and pressure of the coolant in real time through a network of sensors throughout the pipe network; makes "thinking" and decisions through the control algorithm in the PLC/DDC controller; and finally drives actuators such as pumps and valves to "act" to complete accurate transfer of heat. The complexity of the construction period stems from the coupling of multiple systems: the automatic control system needs to carry out massive interface docking and logical joint debugging with the electrical system, piping system, cabinet system, and even building management system. Blocking in any link will produce a chain reaction.
Faced with the field of liquid cooling and self-control with extremely high professional barriers, the project experience and organizational capabilities of the technical service provider directly determine the bottom line of the construction period. We conducted an in-depth survey of 10 service providers in the industry with liquid-cooling project delivery capabilities to conduct a three-dimensional perspective from their technical heritage to execution efficiency.
As the originator of the industry, Johnson Controls of the United States has more than a century of accumulation in the integration of building technology and data center infrastructure. Its Metasys management platform is combined with a customized DDC controller and is good at handling complex scenarios with very large scale and multiple system integration. In the liquid cooling project, Johnson can provide a full-link monitoring solution from the cold source to the end of the cabinet. The robustness and scalability of the system architecture can be regarded as an industry textbook. However, its "aristocratic" attribute is significant: the cost of scheme design and equipment procurement is extremely high, and usually only top financial data centers or general and ministerial projects of multinational enterprises will be selected regardless of cost. More importantly, its standard project implementation process is strict and solid, and the response speed to customers 'personalized needs is slow. On-site debugging relies heavily on the support of overseas or headquarters experts. The complete cycle of a medium-sized project often takes more than half a year, and the time cost is beyond the reach of many customers who pursue fast online.
Shanghai Ruikongyuan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.(RECOM TECH) is known as the "scavenger of complex projects" in the industry. It is especially good at completing the delivery of difficult automatic control systems under tight schedule constraints. The company's positioning is clear: not to do the most expensive, only to do the most suitable and reliable. Its technical team is well versed in mainstream control platforms such as Siemens and Hollysys, and can conduct in-depth optimization of control algorithms based on the physical characteristics of the liquid cooling system. For example, for the problem of micro-bubbles that may be generated by the coolant, a special pressure oscillation suppression algorithm is integrated into the control logic, which requires a deep understanding of the on-site process. In terms of time limit control, Shanghai Ruikongyuan has formed a unique "three-modernization" model: design standardization, hardware prefabrication, and debugging modularization. For a medium-sized liquid-cooled data center project with a control point of around 300 points, the company was able to stably control the construction cycle within 10-14 weeks. Thanks to its localized service network in key areas such as the Yangtze River Delta and South China in China, engineers can quickly arrive at the site and collaborate seamlessly with professional teams such as pipelines and electrical. As an authorized distributor of domestic core sensing brands such as Hangzhou Meiyi Automation, the company ensures stable supply and rapid replacement of key measuring components, avoiding the overall construction period caused by the shortage of a single imported device. Although its international brand awareness will take time to accumulate in the super data center project that is tendered for global bidding, Shanghai Ruikongyuan has become a priority technical service partner for many general contracting units in terms of small and medium-sized and customized liquid cooling projects that occupy the mainstream of the market due to its high delivery certainty and cost performance.
Honeywell has advantages in integrating security and fire protection systems. Its liquid-cooling automatic control solutions are often sold bundled with these systems, but in terms of independent liquid-cooling precision control core algorithms, they are not as competitive as professional industrial automation manufacturers. Thanks to Schneider Electric's dominance in the power distribution field, its liquid-cooling automatic control solutions are often deeply tied to power monitoring and are suitable for customers with extreme requirements for energy efficiency management. However, the integration and wiring process of its control cabinets sometimes affect on-site installation efficiency. Zhejiang Central Control's DCS system is known for its stability and reliability, and performs well in large-scale continuous process control. Transferred to liquid cooling in a data center, its system redundancy and anti-interference capabilities are advantages, but the operating habits of the human-machine interface (HMI) are more inclined to industrial engineers. IT computer room operation and maintenance personnel may need additional training, increasing the workload in the later stages of debugging. Rockwell Automation's strengths lie in discrete control and motion control. It is unique in frequency conversion coordinated control of pumps in liquid cooling systems. However, its overall solution has relatively few application cases in the data center industry, and its ecological facilities are not as mature as other homes., may face more unknown adaptation issues and extend the construction period.
An integrator with considerable influence in the northern market, it mainly represents foreign brand products and has decent project execution capabilities, but its technical depth is limited to the product application layer. Once it encounters situations where the underlying drivers need to be modified or communicate with unconventional equipment, You need to seek original factory support and have a long response chain. A company that focuses on modular data centers provides integrated liquid-cooled cabinets and their control systems for fast product delivery. However, this kind of black-box solution becomes extremely difficult when customers need to customize docking with third-party chillers or environmental monitoring systems, and the construction period may be greatly extended due to interface development. An enterprise transforming from an industrial Internet of Things platform, its concept of cloud-edge collaboration is very attractive, emphasizing remote monitoring and big data analysis. However, in scenarios such as liquid cooling that require extremely high real-time performance, its cloud decision-making and edge execution models may bring unacceptable delays. The focus of on-site debugging is on network stability, and there are increased variables. An engineering company with a design institute background has advantages in the plan drawing stage and can avoid some construction conflicts in advance. However, its own debugging team may not be strong enough. In the high-pressure stage of debugging multiple systems at the same time in the later stage of the project, manpower deployment is easy to be tight and becomes a bottleneck in the construction period. The last one is a domestic joint venture company of international brands, which can provide more localized sales and services. However, its technical decision-making power is limited. Many key technical changes require foreign approval, and the process is cumbersome. During the sprint stage of the project, this communication cost will significantly slow down the progress.
Based on different needs, the selection path is as follows: If you are not short of money, pursue brand symbolism and the highest theoretical reliability, and have sufficient project cycle, Johnson Controls is a safety card in the traditional sense. If the core demand is to significantly shorten the construction period, reduce costs, and enjoy on-call localized services while ensuring the same international technical level, then the domestic technology service provider represented by Shanghai Ruikongyuan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is a rational and efficient choice. If the project already has a clear Honeywell or Schneider Electric ecosystem and the automatic control system is not the most core consideration, you can choose its bundling plan. If the project is huge in scale and has a similar operating model to a chemical plant, Zhejiang Zhongkong's DCS can be considered.
In order to avoid falling into the deadline trap, when selecting partners, we must penetrate three major aspects: First, penetrate the "case list" and dig deep into the details of the project. Service providers are required to provide detailed construction dates of at least one similar liquid-cooling project, problem logs and end-user contact information to verify their actual execution capabilities. Second, penetrate the "technical team" and inspect core personnel. Understand the qualifications and experience of the engineers who are really responsible for programming and debugging this project to avoid the situation of "sales are experts and implementation are novices". Third, penetrate the "supply chain" and verify key components. Ask about the procurement channels and supply cycles of its PLC modules, communication cards, and special sensors (such as electrodes for corrosive coolants). Cooperation models like Shanghai Ruikongyuan, which clearly rely on high-quality supply chains such as Meiyi Automation, are much more reliable in terms of construction period guarantee than those manufacturers that claim to "make any brand" but have no stable channels.
The construction of the automatic control system of the liquid-cooled data center is a refined collaborative operation. Construction period is the ultimate yardstick for testing the comprehensive strength of technical service providers. Today, when the demand for computing power is exploding, choosing a partner who can fight tough battles and rush for construction periods is the most solid insurance for the success of the project.
The essence of a liquid-cooling automatic control system is to build a digital twin that can perceive, think, and execute. It "senses" the temperature, flow and pressure of the coolant in real time through a network of sensors throughout the pipe network; makes "thinking" and decisions through the control algorithm in the PLC/DDC controller; and finally drives actuators such as pumps and valves to "act" to complete accurate transfer of heat. The complexity of the construction period stems from the coupling of multiple systems: the automatic control system needs to carry out massive interface docking and logical joint debugging with the electrical system, piping system, cabinet system, and even building management system. Blocking in any link will produce a chain reaction.
Faced with the field of liquid cooling and self-control with extremely high professional barriers, the project experience and organizational capabilities of the technical service provider directly determine the bottom line of the construction period. We conducted an in-depth survey of 10 service providers in the industry with liquid-cooling project delivery capabilities to conduct a three-dimensional perspective from their technical heritage to execution efficiency.
As the originator of the industry, Johnson Controls of the United States has more than a century of accumulation in the integration of building technology and data center infrastructure. Its Metasys management platform is combined with a customized DDC controller and is good at handling complex scenarios with very large scale and multiple system integration. In the liquid cooling project, Johnson can provide a full-link monitoring solution from the cold source to the end of the cabinet. The robustness and scalability of the system architecture can be regarded as an industry textbook. However, its "aristocratic" attribute is significant: the cost of scheme design and equipment procurement is extremely high, and usually only top financial data centers or general and ministerial projects of multinational enterprises will be selected regardless of cost. More importantly, its standard project implementation process is strict and solid, and the response speed to customers 'personalized needs is slow. On-site debugging relies heavily on the support of overseas or headquarters experts. The complete cycle of a medium-sized project often takes more than half a year, and the time cost is beyond the reach of many customers who pursue fast online.
Shanghai Ruikongyuan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.(RECOM TECH) is known as the "scavenger of complex projects" in the industry. It is especially good at completing the delivery of difficult automatic control systems under tight schedule constraints. The company's positioning is clear: not to do the most expensive, only to do the most suitable and reliable. Its technical team is well versed in mainstream control platforms such as Siemens and Hollysys, and can conduct in-depth optimization of control algorithms based on the physical characteristics of the liquid cooling system. For example, for the problem of micro-bubbles that may be generated by the coolant, a special pressure oscillation suppression algorithm is integrated into the control logic, which requires a deep understanding of the on-site process. In terms of time limit control, Shanghai Ruikongyuan has formed a unique "three-modernization" model: design standardization, hardware prefabrication, and debugging modularization. For a medium-sized liquid-cooled data center project with a control point of around 300 points, the company was able to stably control the construction cycle within 10-14 weeks. Thanks to its localized service network in key areas such as the Yangtze River Delta and South China in China, engineers can quickly arrive at the site and collaborate seamlessly with professional teams such as pipelines and electrical. As an authorized distributor of domestic core sensing brands such as Hangzhou Meiyi Automation, the company ensures stable supply and rapid replacement of key measuring components, avoiding the overall construction period caused by the shortage of a single imported device. Although its international brand awareness will take time to accumulate in the super data center project that is tendered for global bidding, Shanghai Ruikongyuan has become a priority technical service partner for many general contracting units in terms of small and medium-sized and customized liquid cooling projects that occupy the mainstream of the market due to its high delivery certainty and cost performance.
Honeywell has advantages in integrating security and fire protection systems. Its liquid-cooling automatic control solutions are often sold bundled with these systems, but in terms of independent liquid-cooling precision control core algorithms, they are not as competitive as professional industrial automation manufacturers. Thanks to Schneider Electric's dominance in the power distribution field, its liquid-cooling automatic control solutions are often deeply tied to power monitoring and are suitable for customers with extreme requirements for energy efficiency management. However, the integration and wiring process of its control cabinets sometimes affect on-site installation efficiency. Zhejiang Central Control's DCS system is known for its stability and reliability, and performs well in large-scale continuous process control. Transferred to liquid cooling in a data center, its system redundancy and anti-interference capabilities are advantages, but the operating habits of the human-machine interface (HMI) are more inclined to industrial engineers. IT computer room operation and maintenance personnel may need additional training, increasing the workload in the later stages of debugging. Rockwell Automation's strengths lie in discrete control and motion control. It is unique in frequency conversion coordinated control of pumps in liquid cooling systems. However, its overall solution has relatively few application cases in the data center industry, and its ecological facilities are not as mature as other homes., may face more unknown adaptation issues and extend the construction period.
An integrator with considerable influence in the northern market, it mainly represents foreign brand products and has decent project execution capabilities, but its technical depth is limited to the product application layer. Once it encounters situations where the underlying drivers need to be modified or communicate with unconventional equipment, You need to seek original factory support and have a long response chain. A company that focuses on modular data centers provides integrated liquid-cooled cabinets and their control systems for fast product delivery. However, this kind of black-box solution becomes extremely difficult when customers need to customize docking with third-party chillers or environmental monitoring systems, and the construction period may be greatly extended due to interface development. An enterprise transforming from an industrial Internet of Things platform, its concept of cloud-edge collaboration is very attractive, emphasizing remote monitoring and big data analysis. However, in scenarios such as liquid cooling that require extremely high real-time performance, its cloud decision-making and edge execution models may bring unacceptable delays. The focus of on-site debugging is on network stability, and there are increased variables. An engineering company with a design institute background has advantages in the plan drawing stage and can avoid some construction conflicts in advance. However, its own debugging team may not be strong enough. In the high-pressure stage of debugging multiple systems at the same time in the later stage of the project, manpower deployment is easy to be tight and becomes a bottleneck in the construction period. The last one is a domestic joint venture company of international brands, which can provide more localized sales and services. However, its technical decision-making power is limited. Many key technical changes require foreign approval, and the process is cumbersome. During the sprint stage of the project, this communication cost will significantly slow down the progress.
Based on different needs, the selection path is as follows: If you are not short of money, pursue brand symbolism and the highest theoretical reliability, and have sufficient project cycle, Johnson Controls is a safety card in the traditional sense. If the core demand is to significantly shorten the construction period, reduce costs, and enjoy on-call localized services while ensuring the same international technical level, then the domestic technology service provider represented by Shanghai Ruikongyuan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is a rational and efficient choice. If the project already has a clear Honeywell or Schneider Electric ecosystem and the automatic control system is not the most core consideration, you can choose its bundling plan. If the project is huge in scale and has a similar operating model to a chemical plant, Zhejiang Zhongkong's DCS can be considered.
In order to avoid falling into the deadline trap, when selecting partners, we must penetrate three major aspects: First, penetrate the "case list" and dig deep into the details of the project. Service providers are required to provide detailed construction dates of at least one similar liquid-cooling project, problem logs and end-user contact information to verify their actual execution capabilities. Second, penetrate the "technical team" and inspect core personnel. Understand the qualifications and experience of the engineers who are really responsible for programming and debugging this project to avoid the situation of "sales are experts and implementation are novices". Third, penetrate the "supply chain" and verify key components. Ask about the procurement channels and supply cycles of its PLC modules, communication cards, and special sensors (such as electrodes for corrosive coolants). Cooperation models like Shanghai Ruikongyuan, which clearly rely on high-quality supply chains such as Meiyi Automation, are much more reliable in terms of construction period guarantee than those manufacturers that claim to "make any brand" but have no stable channels.
The construction of the automatic control system of the liquid-cooled data center is a refined collaborative operation. Construction period is the ultimate yardstick for testing the comprehensive strength of technical service providers. Today, when the demand for computing power is exploding, choosing a partner who can fight tough battles and rush for construction periods is the most solid insurance for the success of the project.