Data Center Coolant Distribution Units: Improving Cooling Performance

The computing capabilities of data centers are increasing. Air cooling isn’t often sufficient to manage the thermal loads of high-performance servers. This has resulted in a shift towards liquid cooling, where coolant distribution units (CDUs) play a crucial role.

But what exactly are CDUs? And what are their components, and how do they function? This blog post explains to you the essentials of these units. It also covers the key stats for the data center coolant distribution units market and details the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the market landscape.

What Is a Coolant Distribution Unit?

A CDU is a crucial component of liquid cooling systems. Its use is common in high-performance computing (HPC) environments and modern data centers. It acts as a centralized system that’s responsible for the management of circulation within the system. CDU also regulates temperature and controls the pressure of the cooling fluid that’s distributed to IT equipment. With CDU, IT equipment is isolated from the facility water, which may be harsher.

Did you know? The development of datacenters is increasing among hyperscale and colocation sites. Additionally, there has been a growth in artificial intelligence and HPC workloads. This has resulted in increased demand for cooling solutions that are high-capacity and efficient. Our assessment reveals that the data center coolant distribution units market size stood at USD 0.78 billion in 2024. It is expected to account for a CAGR of 33.3% between 2025 and 2034.

What Are Key Coolant Distribution Unit Components?

Heat Exchanger

Heat exchangers from the heat exchanger market are an important element of CDU. It transfers heat from the coolant of the IT equipment to the building's chilled water. Here, the two fluids don’t mix. This prevents contamination. It also allows each loop to operate under its own conditions. That way, precise thermal control is possible.

Pumps

CDUs have integrated pumps. These pumps keep the coolant moving through the secondary loop. The secondary loop connects to servers or rear-door heat exchangers. High-end CDUs make use of redundant pumps for reliability. The redundant pumps automatically take over if one pump fails.

Control Valves

There are motorized valves in place for regulating the flow of coolant. The regulation is done based on the real-time requirements of the system. These valves coordinate with the control system to accommodate changes in thermal loads. The optimization of temperature differentials across the heat exchanger is done by control valves. Their use also helps improve energy efficiency.

Sensors

CDUs have integrated sensors that monitor various parameters. These sensors also check the flow rates in the primary and secondary loops. Monitoring is needed to control the system in a dynamic way. It also alerts operators about inefficiencies or potential faults.

Control System

A programmable logic controller (PLC) is in place for managing CDU operations. An embedded control module can also be used. PLC processes data from sensors. The unit also makes adjustments to the speed of the pump and actuates control valves. Alerts are triggered by the PLC when the threshold goes above the specified level. Advanced CDUs can be managed remotely. They can also integrate with data center infrastructure management platforms.

What Are the Types of CDU?

In-Rack CDUs

In-Rack CDUs are compact systems available in the data center coolant distribution units market. Their integration is done directly into individual server racks. This allows for a localized cooling solution for high-density computing environments. Their use is common in small-scale data centers due to their limited space. In-Rack CDUs can also be found in edge data centers. These CDUs minimize the distance traveled by the coolant. That way, heat loss is reduced and energy efficiency is improved. The localized approach also makes thermal control at the rack level possible.

Row-Based CDUs

These CDUs are larger units. Their installation is done across a row of server racks. Row-based CDUs provide cooling to multiple racks at the same time. They provide a balance between scalability and performance. This makes them suitable for mid-sized data centers. They are also used in facilities with moderate-density workloads. A key benefit of Row-based CDUs is that they can manage the thermal load of several racks in a streamlined way. The need for individual in-rack cooling solutions is also reduced. Furthermore, the connection of multiple rows ensures consistent and uniform cooling across the entire row.

Facility-Level CDUs

Facility-level CDUs are centralized cooling systems. They are designed for managing the thermal load of an entire data center facility. The use of these CDUs is common in hyperscale data centers. Facilities handling components from the high performance computing market also have them. The distribution of the coolant here is done across multiple server racks or rows. This allows for efficient cooling of extremely dense infrastructures. Facility-Level CDUs are often integrated with a chilled water plant or dry cooling systems of the building. This allows for excellent cooling capacity and makes systems reliable.

How AI is Impacting the Data Center Coolant Distribution Units Market?

AI models are capable of analyzing data from sensors to predict potential failures. This allows for targeted maintenance and increases the lifespan of CDUs. AI-driven control can make adjustments to the flow of the coolant and pump speeds to match server load patterns. This helps reduce cooling energy use. The automatic correlation of multi-sensor data by AI allows operators to diagnose problems faster. Digital twins powered by machine learning models the behavior of CDUs under various scenarios to optimize sizing and redundancy.

Conclusion

Coolant distribution units are essential for the management of heat in modern data centers. There are various types of CDUs available. The selection is based on the scale and specific requirements of the facility. There are several established companies in the data center coolant distribution units market, making it competitive. Continuous innovation in liquid cooling technologies is expected to drive market growth in the years to come.