Liquid cooling foundations for buyers
Learn how liquid cooling moves heat, what the CDU and the two loops do, what the ASHRAE W classes mean and how PUE and WUE are defined, so you can read a listing and ask the right questions.
Start the courseAbout this course
- Level
- Foundations
- Access
- Free
- Time
- 40 min
- Lessons
- 3
- Pass mark
- 80%
- Exam attempts
- 3
- Certificate valid for
- 1 year
What you will learn
- Use heat = mass flow x specific heat x temperature rise to estimate the coolant flow for a rack.
- Name the technology cooling system, the facility water system and the CDU, and say what each does.
- Tell direct-to-chip, immersion and rear-door heat exchangers apart.
- Read an ASHRAE W class name and say what it does and does not limit.
- State how PUE and WUE are defined and why a buyer needs both.
Lessons
Questions
Is this course about designing a cooling system?
No. It is for people who choose, buy or approve liquid cooling. It teaches the terms and the checks you need to read a listing and ask a vendor, not how to design a plant.
Can I size real equipment with the worked examples?
No. The examples use round values for water to show the method. This site gives education and records, not engineering advice. Use the data from the server maker and the cooling vendor for a real design.
Does the certificate show I can approve a cooling design?
No. It is a certificate of completion from this site and records that you passed the exam. It is not a licence, an accreditation or an engineering review.