Why AI workloads change the heat profile
Training and inference clusters pack GPUs that reject far more heat per rack than legacy IT. A single high-density rack can exceed 40 to 100 kW, and that heat is continuous, dry and valuable. Instead of dumping it to the atmosphere, operators now treat server waste heat as a recoverable resource.
Air-side recovery that keeps streams separate
Because IT exhaust must never re-enter supply air, a sensible air-to-air plate core is the correct choice. The solid partition transfers only temperature, so no moisture or contaminant crosses between streams. Rotary wheels are deliberately avoided for IT air.
Where the recovered heat goes
Recovered coolth pre-conditions supply air for free cooling, while recovered warmth pre-heats make-up air, adjacent offices or a district loop. The plate free-cooling retrofit case shows roughly 35 percent HVAC-energy savings in a comparable deployment.
Selection rules
Specify counter-flow plates for the highest efficiency (80 to 90 percent), keep airflows balanced, and size the core to the rack heat load plus a margin for future density growth.