DC Explorer: system archetype
Dense AI liquid-cooled cluster
Rack-scale accelerator systems are liquid cooled through CDUs, with warm facility water that allows dry coolers to reject heat for much of the year. Network core and compute often have separate power and availability strategies.
Draft conceptual topology, not yet engineering-reviewed. It shows which systems connect, not capacities, quantities, redundancy or a design. It is not a single-line diagram or a schematic, and it does not show that any products are compatible. Updated 18 Oct 2026.
When to use it: Use it to see what changes when racks are designed for very high power, and which facility decisions are tied to the exact IT model.
System graph
Lines show what feeds what: electrical heat network controls and services. Select a box to jump to its entry. The 3D explorer shows the same systems.
Systems and connections
Electrical
Utility connection and substation
Brings grid supply on site at transmission or distribution voltage. A connection allocation is not commissioned IT load.
Feeds: Transformers and protection (supply)
On CoolPower Index: Switchgear & Transformers suppliers, Data centre power distribution
Transformers and protection
Steps voltage down and isolates faults. Ratings, impedance and protection settings come from the electrical design.
Fed by: Utility connection and substation (supply)
Feeds: MV and LV switchgear and distribution (stepped-down supply)
On CoolPower Index: Switchgear & Transformers suppliers, Data centre power distribution
MV and LV switchgear and distribution
Distributes power to IT, mechanical and building loads and allows sections to be isolated for maintenance.
Fed by: Transformers and protection (stepped-down supply), Standby generation (backup interface), Battery energy storage (site level) (storage interface)
Feeds: UPS and batteries (critical feed), CDUs (liquid-to-liquid) (pump and control supply)
On CoolPower Index: Switchgear & Transformers suppliers, Data centre power distribution
UPS and batteries
Rides through supply interruptions for the network core and critical mechanical loads, which may differ from the compute power path. Which loads are UPS-backed is a design choice, not a default.
Fed by: MV and LV switchgear and distribution (critical feed)
Feeds: Racks and rack power (PDUs or power shelves) (UPS-backed IT supply)
On CoolPower Index: UPS & Power Distribution suppliers, Backup power and energy storage, Data centre power distribution, Cooling and power RFI checklist
Standby generation
Supplies backup power after a utility outage once started. Standby duty is not continuous prime power.
Feeds: MV and LV switchgear and distribution (backup interface)
On CoolPower Index: Gensets & On-site Power suppliers, Backup power and energy storage
Battery energy storage (site level)
Optional buffer between dynamic IT load and the grid or generators. It shifts energy and is not a primary fuel source. Applicability is decided case by case.
Feeds: MV and LV switchgear and distribution (storage interface)
On CoolPower Index: BESS & Energy Storage suppliers, Backup power and energy storage
Thermal
Cold plates and rack manifolds
Carry most accelerator and CPU heat into the technical loop. Flow and temperature limits come from the IT vendor's specification.
Fed by: Servers and accelerators (accelerator heat)
Feeds: CDUs (liquid-to-liquid) (technical loop)
On CoolPower Index: CDUs & Direct Liquid Cooling suppliers, Direct liquid cooling (direct-to-chip), Cooling technology selection guide
CDUs (liquid-to-liquid)
Serve groups of racks from the facility water loop. Redundancy and maintenance strategy must be engineered, not inferred from a count.
Fed by: Cold plates and rack manifolds (technical loop), MV and LV switchgear and distribution (pump and control supply), Controls and monitoring (BMS, EPMS, DCIM) (control), Fire safety, leak detection and water treatment (leak and fluid quality), Commissioning and service access (flushing and testing)
Feeds: Warm facility water loop and pumps (heat to facility water)
On CoolPower Index: CDUs & Direct Liquid Cooling suppliers, Coolant distribution units (CDUs), Direct liquid cooling (direct-to-chip), CDU comparison guide, Cooling and power RFI checklist
Warm facility water loop and pumps
Higher water temperatures widen the hours when heat can be rejected without mechanical chilling.
Fed by: CDUs (liquid-to-liquid) (heat to facility water), CRAHs or fan walls for residual air heat (heat to water)
Feeds: Dry coolers (heat rejected), Trim chillers (trim when needed), Heat recovery offtake (optional) (optional export)
On CoolPower Index: Warm-water cooling loops
CRAHs or fan walls for residual air heat
Handle the heat not captured by liquid and the room's other loads.
Fed by: Servers and accelerators (residual air heat)
Feeds: Warm facility water loop and pumps (heat to water)
On CoolPower Index: Chillers & Precision Cooling suppliers, Cooling technology selection guide
Trim chillers
Support hot weather or lower-temperature loads where the design needs them.
Fed by: Warm facility water loop and pumps (trim when needed)
On CoolPower Index: Chillers & Precision Cooling suppliers, Heat rejection, Cooling technology selection guide
Dry coolers
Reject facility heat to air without evaporative water use. Capacity falls as ambient temperature rises.
Fed by: Warm facility water loop and pumps (heat rejected)
On CoolPower Index: Heat Rejection suppliers, Heat rejection, Cooling and power RFI checklist
Heat recovery offtake (optional)
Exports useful heat where a user, temperature and season fit. Captured heat is not automatically saleable heat.
Fed by: Warm facility water loop and pumps (optional export)
On CoolPower Index: Data centre heat reuse
No 3D model for this system yet.
IT and network
Racks and rack power (PDUs or power shelves)
Hold IT equipment and distribute power inside the rack. Rack density and weight drive floor, power and cooling requirements.
Fed by: UPS and batteries (UPS-backed IT supply)
Feeds: Servers and accelerators (rack power)
On CoolPower Index: Direct liquid cooling (direct-to-chip), 800 VDC rack power
Servers and accelerators
Turn nearly all of their electrical input into heat at the IT boundary. Power and cooling needs depend on the exact model and configuration.
Fed by: Racks and rack power (PDUs or power shelves) (rack power)
Feeds: Network switches and optics (data), Cold plates and rack manifolds (accelerator heat), CRAHs or fan walls for residual air heat (residual air heat)
On CoolPower Index: Direct liquid cooling (direct-to-chip)
Network switches and optics
Connect servers, storage and the outside world. Network power and cabling are often missed in early estimates.
Fed by: Servers and accelerators (data), Storage (data)
On CoolPower Index: No verified portal record linked yet.
Storage
Holds data for the workload. Configuration, usable capacity and power vary widely.
Feeds: Network switches and optics (data)
On CoolPower Index: No verified portal record linked yet.
No 3D model for this system yet.
Context
Controls and monitoring (BMS, EPMS, DCIM)
Coordinates plant, alarms and metering. Interfaces and sequences must be specified and commissioned.
Feeds: CDUs (liquid-to-liquid) (control)
On CoolPower Index: No verified portal record linked yet.
No 3D model for this system yet.
Fire safety, leak detection and water treatment
Detection, suppression, leak sensing and fluid quality management. Requirements depend on local codes and the fluids used.
Feeds: CDUs (liquid-to-liquid) (leak and fluid quality)
On CoolPower Index: No verified portal record linked yet.
No 3D model for this system yet.
Commissioning and service access
Testing against the design intent, plus space and procedures to maintain equipment without unplanned outages.
Feeds: CDUs (liquid-to-liquid) (flushing and testing)
On CoolPower Index: No verified portal record linked yet.
No 3D model for this system yet.
Size it
The archetype has no built-in numbers. Use the engineering pack to work out load, heat, rack, CDU and flow figures from your own assumptions. Both are saved in the same brief.
Sources
These references explain system functions. They do not validate this topology. NVIDIA's reference design is one specific design, not a universal pattern to scale.
- U.S. DOE FEMP, Best Practices Guide for Energy-Efficient Data Center Design (26 July 2024) (opens in a new tab) checked 18 Oct 2026
- U.S. DOE FEMP, Cooling Water Efficiency Opportunities for Federal Data Centers (opens in a new tab) checked 18 Oct 2026
- NVIDIA, DSX Facilities Infrastructure Reference Design Overview (design guide v2.0, 19 August 2026) (opens in a new tab) checked 18 Oct 2026
Other archetypes: Conventional air-cooled colocation, Mixed air and direct liquid cooling, Brownfield liquid-cooling retrofit.