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Google's Liquid Cooling

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399 points giuliomagnifico | 1 comments | 25 Aug 25 17:57 UTC | HN request time: 0.204s | source
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BoppreH ◴[25 Aug 25 19:05 UTC] No.45017675[source]▶
I see frequent mentions of AI wasting water. Is this one such setup, perhaps with the CDU using the facility's water supply for evaporative cooling?
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Lerc ◴[25 Aug 25 19:23 UTC] No.45017852[source]▶
I have encountered a lot of references to AI using water, but with scant details. Is it using water in the same way a car uses a road? The road remains largely unchanged?

The implication is clear that it is a waste, but I feel like if they had the data so support that, it wouldn't be left for the reader to infer.

I can see two models where you could say water is consumed. Either talking about drinkable water rendered undrinkable, or turning water into something else where it is not practically recaptured. Tuning it into steam, sequestering it in some sludge etc.

Are these things happening? If it is happening, is it bad? Why?

I'd love to see answers on this, because I have seen the figures used like a kudgel without specifying what the numbers actually refer to. It's frustrating as hell.

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quickthrowman ◴[25 Aug 25 21:48 UTC] No.45019456[source]▶
> I have encountered a lot of references to AI using water, but with scant details.

Here you go: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling_tower

Data centers use evaporative cooling towers which evaporate water to reject heat to the atmosphere.

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1. lkbm ◴[26 Aug 25 14:40 UTC] No.45027198[source]▶
My understanding is that most new data centers don't use evaporation cooling these days, at least in water-sensitive areas. Hard to find solid data on this either way, though.

Of course, if you're using dry cooling, it uses more electricity, so hopefully you're using solar, not a source that uses evaporative cooling to produce electricity (if in a dry climate).