Data centers generate a lot of heat, so engineers are tasked with finding the methods to cool them. Microsoft has not only found a way to do that, but also to make the data centers faster and greener.
The company is experimenting with submerging the data centers into the sea.
The New York Times reports that Microsoft has tested out its plan, named Project Natick. Last August, a prototype submersible, called Leona Philpot, was placed 30 feet underwater in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
According to Engadget, the eight-foot steel capsule held a single data center rack and was enveloped in nitrogen to keep it cool. The prototype, which controlled from the Microsoft campus over a 105-day trial, was successful. The data center was equipped with 100 sensors that tracked humidity, motion, and pressure, and didn’t experience and hardware failures or leaks. The data center even ran data-processing projects from Microsoft’s Azure, a cloud computing platform.
While environmental concerns are being taken into account, the data centers are planned to be fully recyclable, and the prototype only emitted a small amount of heat into the nearby waters.
The research group is planning a new trial with a system that will be three times larger.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Market Data | Aug 1, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending increases slightly in June
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending is up 18% over the past 12 months. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.07 trillion in June.
Data Centers | Apr 14, 2023
JLL's data center outlook: Cloud computing, AI driving exponential growth for data center industry
According to JLL’s new Global Data Center Outlook, the mass adoption of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) is driving exponential growth for the data center industry, with hyperscale and edge computing leading investor demand.
Sustainability | Apr 4, 2023
NIBS report: Decarbonizing the U.S. building sector will require massive, coordinated effort
Decarbonizing the building sector will require a massive, strategic, and coordinated effort by the public and private sectors, according to a report by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
Energy | Mar 20, 2023
Battery energy storage market predictions are trickier than ever
Burns & McDonnell breaks down the state of battery energy storage today, from pricing concerns to alternative solutions.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Data Centers | Feb 6, 2023
Modular electric rooms are the new normal
Southland Industries breaks down the prefabrication benefits of Modular Electric Rooms (MERs).
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
Data Centers | Nov 28, 2022
Data centers are a hot market—don't waste the heat!
SmithGroup's Brian Rener shares a few ways to integrate data centers in mixed-use sites, utilizing waste heat to optimize the energy demands of the buildings.
