 The Aquasar cooling system applied to a QS22 Blade server module. The two microchannel coolers at the center, are attached directly to the processors, allowing for unprecedented cooling efficiency. | |
| Developer | ETH Lausanne, ETH Zurich, IBM |
|---|---|
| Type | Supercomputer platform prototype |
| Release date | 2010 |
| CPU | CELL (QS22 nodes) Intel Xeon (HS22 nodes) |
| Successor | IBM PERCS |
Aquasar is a supercomputer (a high-performance computer) prototype created by IBM Labs in collaboration with ETH Zurich in Zürich, Switzerland and ETH Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland.[1] While most supercomputers use air as their coolant of choice, the Aquasar uses hot water to achieve its great computing efficiency. Along with using hot water as the main coolant, an air-cooled section is also included to be used to compare the cooling efficiency of both coolants. The comparison could later be used to help improve the hot water coolant's performance. The research program was first termed to be: "Direct use of waste heat from liquid-cooled supercomputers: the path to energy saving, emission-high performance computers and data centers." The waste heat produced by the cooling system is able to be recycled back in the building's heating system, potentially saving money. Beginning in 2009, the three-year collaborative project was introduced and developed in the interest of saving energy and being environmentally-safe while delivering top-tier performance.[2][3]
- ^ "IBM's Hot-Water Supercomputer Goes Live". Data Center Knowledge | News and analysis for the data center industry. 2010-07-05. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ "Made in IBM Labs: IBM Hot Water-Cooled Supercomputer Goes Live at ETH Zurich". www-03.ibm.com. 2010-07-02. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ "ETH Zurich: new Aquasar water-cooled supercomputer goes into operation". Science|Business. Retrieved 2020-10-26.