This Small Part Could Help Google and Others Save Tens of Millions of Dollars: New Modules Help Improve Energy Efficiency in AI-Powered Data Centers
The energy consumption needs of data centers are growing exponentially, due in no small part to the increased demands of AI. It is believed that around 2% of all global electricity consumption comes from data centers, and so do tech giants such as Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon. are under increasing pressure to implement energy efficiency measures to keep their data centers running.
While there are some clever new technologies being developed that can help with this problem, Infineon Technologies has one of the smallest solutions that could potentially save tech giants a not insignificant amount of money.
The new TDM2254xD two-phase power modules utilize Infineon’s OptiMOS MOSFETs, innovative packaging and a unique magnetic structure to deliver improved electrical and thermal performance.
Significant energy savings
The optimized inductor design of the modules is said to result in highly efficient heat transfer from the power stage to the heat sink. With a small footprint and the ability to support peak currents up to 160A, the modules increase power density and reduce losses in power delivery. Infineon claims this results in a full load efficiency increase of two percentage points to 89% and a full load operating temperature that is 5°C cooler.
Placing these modules close to the processor reduces power dissipation losses, allowing >2000 A to be achieved, according to the company.
The TDM2254xD two-phase power modules work together with Infineon’s XDP power controller to enable efficient voltage regulation for high-performance computing platforms, leading to potentially significant energy savings.
A typical data center deployment consists of approximately 100,000 processors. Doing the math, EE News Europe says that a savings of 130 W per processor could translate into a saving of megawatts of energy for a data center, leading to lower CO2 emissions and saving millions of dollars in operating costs over the life of the system.
“This unique Product-to-System solution, combined with our advanced manufacturing, ensures Infineon can deliver solutions with differentiated performance and quality at scale, significantly reducing the total cost of ownership for our customers,” said Athar Zaidi, Senior Vice President, Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon Technologies. “We are excited to bring this solution to market; it will accelerate computing performance and further drive our mission of digitalization and decarbonization.”