LG Uplus 將制定 AI 數據中心液冷運作標準

LG Uplus is working with Ecolab Korea to jointly develop liquid cooling operating standards for next-generation AI data centers. Jung Sook-kyung, vice president in charge of the AI Data Center Business at LG Uplus (left), and Ryu Yang-kwon, CEO of Ecolab Korea, pose for a photo at the signing ceremony for the AI Data Center Cooling System Operations Optimization MOU at LG Uplus' Yongsan headquarters in Seoul on Oct. 27. (Photo: LG Uplus)

LG Uplus is partnering with Ecolab Korea to develop operating standards for liquid cooling systems in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The goal is to establish an integrated operating framework covering cooling fluid management and equipment anomaly detection.

LG Uplus said Oct. 28 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ecolab Korea, the Korean subsidiary of global water treatment solutions provider Ecolab, at its Yongsan headquarters in Seoul on Oct. 27 to optimize AI data center cooling system operations.

The agreement focuses on establishing standards for the stable operation of liquid cooling equipment. The companies plan to combine LG Uplus' experience in building and operating data centers with Ecolab Korea's cooling fluid management technology to conduct joint technical validation.

As AI servers become more powerful and densely packed, heat generation in data centers is increasing, making liquid cooling technology more important. Liquid cooling uses cooling fluids to remove heat from servers, enabling more efficient heat dissipation from high-temperature equipment than conventional air cooling.

However, deteriorating cooling fluid quality or inadequate equipment maintenance can reduce cooling performance and lead to equipment failures. This makes it necessary to establish an operating framework that continuously monitors and manages fluid conditions as well as cooling equipment performance.

The companies will first validate the operational stability of the Technology Cooling System (TCS) Loop, a cooling fluid circulation system connecting AI server racks with coolant distribution units.

LG Uplus will provide a large-scale liquid cooling test environment under construction at its Pyeongchon 2 data center. The facility is designed to validate the cooling performance of AI infrastructure based on next-generation graphics processing unit (GPU) architectures.

Ecolab Korea will establish a cooling fluid quality management framework using its proprietary digital water quality monitoring system. The companies plan to analyze cooling fluid conditions and data collected from key cooling equipment to validate optimal operating conditions and management standards.

The companies also plan to develop an AI-based predictive maintenance system. The system will analyze cooling equipment operating data to detect early signs of anomalies and proactively address potential failures or performance degradation.

Based on the validation results, LG Uplus plans to establish an integrated operating framework covering cooling equipment installation, fluid quality management and real-time monitoring. The company did not disclose when the operating standards would be finalized or when they would be implemented at actual data centers.

"As AI data centers become increasingly dense and generate more heat, liquid cooling operational capabilities are emerging as a key factor in AI infrastructure competitiveness," said Jung Sook-kyung, vice president in charge of the AI Data Center Business at LG Uplus. "Through this collaboration, we will establish liquid cooling operating standards and a quality management framework to provide customers with a more stable AI data center operating environment."

"Systematic management of cooling fluids, as well as cooling equipment, is essential for the stable operation of AI data centers," said Ryu Yang-kwon, CEO of Ecolab Korea. "Building on our cooling fluid management and monitoring technologies, we will contribute to improving the reliability of liquid cooling operations and establishing operating standards."