Divcon Controls, a US provider of building management systems and electrical power monitoring systems for data centres and mission-critical facilities, has announced its role in the development of Aligned Data Centers’ new Advanced Cooling Lab in Phoenix, Arizona, where it served as the controls vendor for the facility.
The project marks a step forward in the design and management of liquid-cooled infrastructure to support artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.
The lab, which opened recently, is dedicated to testing advanced cooling methods for GPUs and AI accelerators. It reflects a growing need for more efficient thermal management as data centre density increases and energy requirements rise.
“As the data centre landscape rapidly evolves to accommodate the immense power and cooling requirements of AI and HPC workloads, the complexities of managing mechanical systems in these environments are escalating,” says Kevin Timmons, Chief Executive Officer of Divcon Controls.
“Our involvement with Aligned Data Centers’ Advanced Cooling Lab has provided us with invaluable experience at the forefront of liquid cooling technology.
“We are actively developing and deploying advanced control platforms that not only optimise the performance of these systems, but also contribute to long-term sustainability goals.”
Divcon Controls has focused its work on managing the added complexity that liquid cooling introduces, including:
• Precise thermal control — Managing coolant flow, temperature, and pressure to improve heat transfer efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
• Integration with mechanical infrastructure — Coordinating the performance of pumps, heat exchangers, cooling distribution units (CDUs), and leak detection systems within a unified control framework.
• Load-responsive adjustment — Adapting cooling output in real time to match fluctuating IT loads, helping maintain optimal operating conditions while limiting energy waste.
• Visibility and predictive maintenance — Providing operators with detailed analytics on system performance to support proactive maintenance and longer equipment life.
• Support for hybrid environments — Enabling the transition between air and liquid cooling within the same facility, as demonstrated at Aligned’s lab.
As more facilities transition to hybrid and liquid-cooled architectures, Divcon Controls says it is focusing on delivering control systems that enhance energy efficiency, reduce operational risk, and ensure long-term asset reliability.
“Our collaboration with industry leaders like Aligned Data Centers underscores our commitment to innovation and to solving the most pressing challenges in data centre infrastructure,” continues Kevin.
“Divcon Controls is proud to be at the forefront of developing intelligent control platforms for the next generation of high-density, AI-powered data centres, with environmental performance front of mind.”
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