GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion research

As a rule around half of this energy is needed for cooling due to the heat generated by microprocessors. In addition, a great deal of space is required for the cabinets in which computers are housed in order to avoid cross-heating between devices. GSI has now adopted a new type of architecture that saves both energy and space. The novel concept, which has been dubbed the “e-cube”, was developed by both Professor Volker Lindenstruth, head of the IT department of the GSI, and Professor Horst Stöcker, the centre’s scientific director. The system uses water to cool the computer cabinets so that hardly any ambient heat is emitted. Since no additional ventilators are necessary, only an additional 5 percent of the electricity used to run the computers is required for cooling. Furthermore, thanks to the lack of waste heat, the 96 computer cabinets can be stacked very compactly in a high rack, thus saving construction and operating costs. Compared with the best conventional systems, the new concept saves the GSI 350,000 euros annually in electricity costs. This concept will also be used in the cube-shaped building for the FAIR international accelerator centre. The building will be completed at the GSI in 2014. The centre will contain up to 800 computer cabinets arranged in extremely compact stacks.

GSI/Red.