Emerson Introduces Rack Enclosure With Integrated Cooling for High Density Electronics

Emerson Network Power announced the availability of the Liebert XDK, a Knurr rack enclosure with integrated cooling capabilities. A product of Emerson’s recent acquisition of Knurr Inc., the 19-inch rack is now available in the United States and provides secure and reliable cooling for up to 17kW of high-density electronics.

This first release of the Liebert XDK, which has been marketed in Europe as the Knurr CoolTherm®, utilizes water as the fluid to transport the heat out of the enclosure. It is a closed architecture solution utilizing air circulation internal to the enclosure that is completely sealed from room air and environmental conditions. Server heat load is absorbed by the rack’s integrated cold water system through a high efficiency air-to-water heat exchanger in the bottom of the rack.

This solution enables IT professionals to deploy blade servers and other high density heat load computing equipment without creating hot spots in their data centers. Redundant high-performance fans with temperature-dependent speed regulation drive closed loop air circulation in the rack’s interior, while servers are supplied with cold air at the front of the rack. The Liebert XDK can improve cooling system efficiency by up to 30% compared to traditional room cooling systems.

Key to the performance and space saving of the Liebert XDK is the Liebert XDP pumping unit, also known as a coolant distribution unit (CDU). This unit delivers the critical control feature of maintaining the fluid temperature above the dew point to prevent condensation on the piping, coils and walls of the enclosure. Another key role of the Liebert XDP is to ensure isolation between the building chilled water system and the Liebert XDK.

The Liebert XDK is an extension of Emerson’s Liebert XD line of high heat-density cooling solutions that improves business continuity by supplementing traditional cooling and targeting high density areas. Knurr Inc., a manufacturer of equipment racks and cabinets based in Germany, was acquired by Emerson in January 2006, and has been integrated into the Emerson Network Power business, which includes Liebert power, cooling and monitoring technologies.