The Data Center Frontier Show

Engineering a Cool Revolution: Shumate’s HDAC Design Tackles AI-Era Density

As artificial intelligence surges across the digital infrastructure landscape, its impacts are increasingly physical. Higher densities, hotter chips, and exponentially rising energy demands are pressuring data center operators to rethink the fundamentals, and especially cooling.
That’s where Shumate Engineering steps in, with a patent-pending system called Hybrid Dry Adiabatic Cooling (HDAC) that reimagines how chilled water loops are deployed in high-density environments.
In this episode of The Data Center Frontier Show, Shumate founder Daren Shumate and Director of Mission Critical Services Stephen Spinazzola detailed the journey behind HDAC, from conceptual spark to real-world validation, and laid out why this system could become a cornerstone for sustainable AI infrastructure.
“Shumate Engineering is really my project to design the kind of firm I always wanted to work for: where engineers take responsibility early and are empowered to innovate,” said Shumate. “HDAC was born from that mindset.”
Two Temperatures, One Loop: Rethinking the Cooling Stack
The challenge HDAC aims to solve is deceptively simple: how do you cool legacy air-cooled equipment and next-gen liquid-cooled racks, simultaneously and efficiently?
Shumate’s answer is a closed-loop system with two distinct temperature taps:
68°F water for traditional air-cooled systems.
90°F water for direct-to-chip liquid cooling.
Both flows draw from a single loop fed by a hybrid adiabatic cooler, a dry cooler with “trim” evaporative functionality when conditions demand it. During cooler months or off-peak hours, the system economizes fully; during warmer conditions, it modulates to maintain optimal output.
“This isn’t magic; it’s just applying known products in a smarter sequence,” said Spinazzola. “One loop, two outputs, no waste.”
The system is fully modular, relies on conventional chillers and pumps, and is compatible with heat exchangers for immersion or CDU-style deployment. And according to Spinazzola, “we can make 90°F water just about anywhere” as long as the local wet bulb temperature stays below 83°F, a threshold met in most of North America.

Safe, Scalable, Sustainable: Enabling AI’s Future with Two-Phase Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling

The future of AI isn’t coming; it’s already here. With NVIDIA’s recent announcement of forthcoming 600kW+ racks, alongside the skyrocketing power costs of inference-based AI workloads, now’s the time to assess whether your data center is equipped to meet these demands.
Fortunately, two-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling is prepared to empower today’s AI boom—and accommodate the next few generations of high-powered CPUs and GPUs. Join Accelsius CEO Josh Claman and CTO Dr. Richard Bonner as they walk through the ways in which their NeuCool™ 2P D2C technology can safely and sustainably cool your data center.
During the webinar, Accelsius leadership will illustrate how NeuCool can reduce energy savings by up to 50% vs. traditional air cooling, drastically slash operational overhead vs. single-phase direct-to-chip, and protect your critical infrastructure from any leak-related risks. While other popular liquid cooling methods carry require constant oversight or designer fluids to maintain peak performance, two-phase direct-to-chip technologies require less maintenance and lower flow rates to achieve better results.
Beyond a thorough overview of NeuCool, viewers will take away these critical insights:
The deployment of Accelsius’ Co-Innovation Labs—global hubs enabling data center leaders to witness NeuCool’s thermal performance capabilities in real-world settings
Our recent testing at 4500W of heat capture—the industry record for direct-to-chip liquid cooling
How Accelsius has prioritized resilience and stability in the midst of global supply chain uncertainty
Our upcoming launch of a multi-rack solution able to cool 250kW across up to four racks
Be sure to join us to discover how two-phase direct-to-chip cooling is enabling the next era of AI.

Why MOOG is focused on Liquid Cooling and Motion Control for Data Centers

During the 14-minute interview, Walsh discusses MOOG’s legacy in designing and manufacturing high-performance motion control products and how the company’s experience with mission critical solutions translates into the data center space. He outlines how intelligent cooling controls and maintenance services contribute to overall data center sustainability and explains what sets MOOG’s purpose-built data center products apart from the competition.
Walsh also discusses recent advancements in motion control and cooling systems for data centers, including a new ultrasonic sensor that measures cavitation in liquid cooling fluids.
During the interview, Walsh shares his thoughts on the rise of liquid cooling across the data center industry and the role MOOG plans to play in this transformation.

Leading with People, Process, and Performance in Digital Transformation

Join us for an insightful conversation with Jenny Zhan, the newly appointed EdgeConneX Chief Transformation Officer, as she shares her unique perspective on leading organizational change in today’s fast-paced, competitive environment. Transitioning from her previous role as Chief Accounting Officer to spearheading digital transformation efforts, Zhan brings a wealth of expertise and a fresh approach to the role.

Open Source, AMD GPUs, and the Future of Edge Inference: Vultr’s Big AI Bet

In this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show, we sit down with Kevin Cochrane, Chief Marketing Officer of Vultr, to explore how the company is positioning itself at the forefront of AI-native cloud infrastructure, and why they’re all-in on AMD’s GPUs, open-source software, and a globally distributed strategy for the future of inference.
Cochrane begins by outlining the evolution of the GPU market, moving from a scarcity-driven, centralized training era to a new chapter focused on global inference workloads. With enterprises now seeking to embed AI across every application and workflow, Vultr is preparing for what Cochrane calls a “10-year rebuild cycle” of enterprise infrastructure—one that will layer GPUs alongside CPUs across every corner of the cloud.
Vultr’s recent partnership with AMD plays a critical role in that strategy. The company is deploying both the MI300X and MI325X GPUs across its 32 data center regions, offering customers optimized options for inference workloads. Cochrane explains the advantages of AMD’s chips, such as higher VRAM and power efficiency, which allow large models to run with fewer GPUs—boosting both performance and cost-effectiveness. These deployments are backed by Vultr’s close integration with Supermicro, which delivers the rack-scale servers needed to bring new GPU capacity online quickly and reliably.
Another key focus of the episode is ROCm (Radeon Open Compute), AMD’s open-source software ecosystem for AI and HPC workloads. Cochrane emphasizes that Vultr is not just deploying AMD hardware; it’s fully aligned with the open-source movement underpinning it. He highlights Vultr’s ongoing global ROCm hackathons and points to zero-day ROCm support on platforms like Hugging Face as proof of how open standards can catalyze rapid innovation and developer adoption.
“Open source and open standards always win in the long run,” Cochrane says. “The future of AI infrastructure depends on a global, community-driven ecosystem, just like the early days of cloud.”
The conversation wraps with a look at Vultr’s growth strategy following its $3.5 billion valuation and recent funding round. Cochrane envisions a world where inference workloads become ubiquitous and deeply embedded into everyday life—from transportation to customer service to enterprise operations. That, he says, will require a global fabric of low-latency, GPU-powered infrastructure.
“The world is going to become one giant inference engine,” Cochrane concludes. “And we’re building the foundation for that today.”
Tune in to hear how Vultr’s bold moves in open-source AI infrastructure and its partnership with AMD may shape the next decade of cloud computing, one GPU cluster at a time.

DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) and its Role in Data Center Security

Explore the critical intersection of Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM), Common Data Center Security issues and Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) with a special focus on how our innovative OpenData solution can help.
As data centers face increasing security threats and regulatory pressures, understanding how to effectively integrate DCIM into a Zero Trust framework is essential for safeguarding operations and ensuring compliance.

Reliving International Data Center Day 2025 with 7x24 Exchange Leaders

As the digital economy accelerates on the back of AI and hyperscale infrastructure, the question of who will build and run tomorrow’s data centers has never been more urgent. Since its inception in 2015, International Data Center Day (IDCD), organized by 7x24 Exchange International, has steadily grown into a global campaign to answer that question—by inspiring the next generation of mission-critical talent.
This year’s IDCD, observed in March but increasingly seen as a year-round initiative, was the subject of a recent Data Center Frontier Show podcast conversation with 7x24 Exchange International Chairman and CEO Bob Cassiliano and Aheli Purkayastha, Chief Product Officer of Purkay Labs and President of the New England Chapter. The two industry leaders outlined how 7x24 Exchange is advancing the mission of IDCD through grassroots engagement, structured resources, and a growing constellation of strategic partnerships.
A Response to the Talent Shortage
The origin of IDCD traces back to 7x24 Exchange’s recognition—at a 2015 leadership event—that there was not only a lack of awareness of data center careers among students, but also a vacuum of visibility in the educational system. In response, the organization launched IDCD to build a long-term pipeline by introducing the industry to students early, consistently, and accessibly.
Today, that mission is more critical than ever. As generative AI workloads surge and new builds stretch power and land capacity, the need for skilled, motivated professionals to support design, operations, and innovation across the lifecycle of data centers has intensified.
Turning Awareness Into Action
In 2025, IDCD expanded its reach through a broad range of local chapter events and partner activations. These included data center tours, educational presentations, interactive demos, 5K runs, and a hackathon hosted by the New England Chapter. The hackathon stood out as a model for applied learning, pairing 50 high school students with industry professionals in a challenge to design a data center in space—all in just five hours. The result: heightened student interest, deeper industry engagement, and a clear illustration of the educational value these events can offer.
While university students remain a key audience, organizers have recognized the need to reach even younger learners. Initiatives are increasingly targeting elementary and middle school students through age-appropriate programming, with a special emphasis on encouraging young women to consider careers in mission-critical infrastructure.
Resources, Reach, and Real Outcomes
The IDCD campaign is more than a collection of events—it is supported by a robust infrastructure of tools, templates, and thought leadership. At the core is InternationalDataCenterDay.org, a centralized hub offering educational content tailored to different age groups, a career path “tree,” and a library of interviews with professionals across the ecosystem. These resources empower volunteers, educators, and sponsors to create consistent, high-impact programming.
The outcomes speak for themselves. IDCD has helped catalyze the development of data center curricula at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. The Carolinas Chapter, for instance, played a key role in helping Cleveland Community College secure a $23 million grant to develop a full-fledged data center program. Elsewhere, scholarships are on the rise, and growing numbers of students and faculty are attending industry conferences.
Supporting these gains are complementary 7x24 Exchange programs such as WIMCO (Women in Mission Critical Operations), STEM mentoring, and Data Center 101 sessions—designed to provide clear entry points for newcomers while reinforcing the industry's inclusive, interdisciplinary nature.

Navigating the Future of Data Center Project Management

The data center industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technological advancements, sustainability concerns, and evolving market demands. This conversation with JLL data center expert Sean Farney explores the world of data center project management, offering insights into current challenges and opportunities.
One of the most significant trends in the industry is the growing need for liquid cooling retrofits. With only 4.6% of global data center critical load currently supporting liquid cooling, there's a substantial opportunity for upgrading existing facilities to meet the demands of high-density computing. This shift is driven by rapid advancements in chip technology, forcing data centers to adapt quickly to maintain efficiency and performance.
Adaptive reuse has emerged as another key strategy in the data center sector. This approach involves converting non-traditional spaces into data centers or updating existing facilities for new technologies. Beyond addressing capacity demands, adaptive reuse offers significant sustainability benefits, aligning with the industry's growing focus on environmental responsibility.
Energy efficiency and sustainability are critical considerations in modern data center design and operations. Often driven by cost savings, these initiatives are reshaping the industry. For instance, some estimates suggest that liquid cooling can reduce carbon impact by up to 40% in new facilities, highlighting the potential for both operational and environmental improvements.
The global nature of data center operations presents unique challenges for project managers. Navigating complex regulatory environments across different markets requires a deep understanding of local codes and standards while meeting global corporate objectives. This complexity underscores the need for project management teams with both global reach and local expertise.
As the industry grapples with a significant talent shortage, innovative approaches to attracting, training, and retaining skilled professionals are crucial. Comprehensive training programs and strategies for bridging the skills gap are becoming increasingly important in this rapidly evolving field.
Emerging technologies continue to shape the future of data center project management. The integration of AI and machine learning in facility management is becoming more common, while the potential impact of quantum computing looms on the horizon. Project managers must stay ahead of these technological shifts to deliver future-ready facilities.
As the data center industry continues to evolve, project management will play a crucial role in delivering cost-effective, efficient, and future-ready facilities. By addressing key challenges such as energy efficiency, technological adaptation, global operations, and talent management, project managers can help transform data center portfolios into strategic assets that support critical business objectives.
 

Powering the Future with Fuel Cells: A Deep Dive into On-Site Power Solutions for Data Centers

In today’s podcast, Matt Vincent, Editor in Chief of Data Center Frontier is joined by Bala Naidu, Vice President – Energy Transition Solutions at Bloom Energy to discuss how the exponential growth of data centers in the United States is putting immense pressure on the power infrastructure. With traditional power sources struggling to keep up, data centers are facing a critical challenge: how to secure timely access to affordable power while adhering to sustainability and permitting regulations.

Solving the Power Problem for Data Centers

The data center industry is experiencing substantial growth, placing increasing pressure on the power grid to meet the rising demand. These facilities necessitate continuous power supply with zero interruptions and demand highly reliable backup power to minimize downtime. The expansion of data centers is contributing to a disparity between the demand for power and the capacity of the grid to supply it, which may result in gaps ranging from several months to multiple years. Consequently, numerous developers are exploring alternative power supply options to address these challenges. Solutions that act as a bridge to grid power, commonly referred to as bridge power, are becoming increasingly essential. Reliable bridge power solutions are critical for enabling stakeholders to expedite revenue generation and enhance the resilience of these mission-critical developments.  Users may also decide to forgoe the utility and procure a self-generated behind-the-meter permanent solution.
When considering a bridge power or self-generation behind-the-meter solution, one of the first factors to examine is the length of time from power need to utility availability. A key question arises: when can we expect the utility power to be available? Accurately assessing the length of time for which the bridge solution is required is vital in determining various other components of the power system.  A bridge power solution acts as a temporary or permanent on-site power plant for a data center, providing not only immediate energy needs but also the potential for long-term flexibility and scalability. This adaptability in both duration and equipment selection significantly accelerates the ability to respond to market demands, ensuring that the data center capacity can continue to expand to meet data storage needs.
The next critical consideration in the development of bridge or behind-the-meter power energy solutions is fuel, as it represents one of the most significant ongoing expenses for projects that operate continuously, 24/7.  Natural-gas-fueled reciprocating engine generators have been proven to be highly effective in distributed generation applications. They offer reliable power supply, straightforward maintenance procedures, and low life-cycle costs, making them an attractive option for many operators. Additionally, natural gas is widely available across most regions in the country, and its comparatively low market prices in various areas enhance the appeal of reciprocating engines, making them a cost-effective solution.  As projects extend into longer timeframes, the option to incorporate gas turbines becomes increasingly relevant. These turbines are particularly well-suited for long-term applications and can be effectively combined with reciprocating engines to optimize capacity and ensure an uninterrupted power supply. This combination allows operators to leverage the strengths of both technologies, ensuring efficiency and reliability in energy production. 
In situations where natural gas is not accessible, but the project's duration justifies the use of natural gas solutions, a virtual pipeline system can be deployed. A virtual pipeline consists of a modular approach utilizing either Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). These gases can be transported through various modes effectively bridging the gap in areas lacking direct natural gas infrastructure. The flexibility of virtual pipelines enables efficient delivery of fuel to remote sites well before a conventional pipeline is constructed.
A bridge or behind-the-meter power solution represents a substantial investment, and like any significant financial commitment, it comes with various inherent risks the project. These risks can be categorized into several areas including: technology risks, environmental permitting risks, construction risks, and financial risks.  To streamline the complexities of the project, it is advisable to collaborate with an experienced partner specializing in bridge and permanent power solutions.  The ideal partner should demonstrate a robust track record of installing and servicing comprehensive power solutions and employ a network of service technicians. These experts can offer a wide range of support, from basic planned maintenance and overhauls to detailed long-term service agreements that ensure sustained performance.  Moreover, the partner should ideally manage the entire project lifecycle, handling engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) while supplying all necessary components, including engines, generators, transformers, switchgear, fuel treatment systems, and other essential ancillary equipment.  Another crucial aspect is the partner's diverse financing capability.  This includes the ability to finance the entire infrastructure rather than just the generation equipment and to provide flexible financing programs tailored to meet unique project needs.
To address the surging demand for power, companies are actively exploring alternative generation solutions such as permanent self-generation, bridge power, and enhanced load flexibility. This examination of options underscores the urgent need for technology-agnostic strategies, highlighting the effectiveness of a holistic solutions approach. In an industry striving to expand data center capacity to meet insatiable demand, adopting these innovative solutions is essential for long-term success and competitive advantage.