What Is a CDU?
A Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) is the thermal control hub of a data center liquid cooling system. It regulates coolant temperature, pressure, and flow, ensuring stable operation for GPU and CPU cold plates.
The core of the CDU is a brazed plate heat exchanger, which transfers heat from the server loop to the facility cooling loop with high efficiency and a compact footprint.
CDUs are essential for modern high-density data centers running AI, HPC, and GPU-intensive workloads where traditional air cooling is insufficient.
Why Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers for CDUs?
Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers (BPHEs) deliver superior heat transfer performance in compact, sealed designs, making them the preferred choice for CDUs in data centers.
Key Advantages
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High thermal efficiency for low approach temperature
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Compact size ideal for rack-level or modular CDUs
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High working pressure suitable for single-phase and two-phase loops
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Low refrigerant/coolant volume for enhanced efficiency
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Reliable, leak-free construction with fully brazed stainless steel plates
Relevance to Data Centers
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Supports high-density liquid cooling
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Enables stable heat rejection in GPU/AI computing environments
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Compatible with DI water, glycol, and engineered coolants
Applications in Modern Data Centers
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AI training clusters (GPU farms)
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LLM and deep learning compute centers
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High-Performance Computing (HPC)
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Colocation data centers
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Hyperscale cloud data centers
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Edge computing environments
Liquid Cooling
advanced thermal management approach for data centers that removes heat directly from high-density IT equipment using circulating coolant. By transferring heat through cold plates, CDUs, and high-efficiency plate heat exchangers, liquid cooling delivers superior thermal performance, improved energy efficiency, and reliable operation for AI, GPU, and HPC workloads.
Free Cooling
energy-efficient cooling strategy for data centers that uses low ambient air or water temperatures to remove heat without relying on mechanical chillers. By integrating air coolers, cooling towers, and plate heat exchangers, free cooling reduces energy consumption, lowers PUE, and supports stable, sustainable data center operation across suitable climate conditions.
Find out more HFM solutions for our clients
HFM, along with our global distributors, provide support to customers in various industries for their plate heat exchanger processing requirements. Our tailored design solutions and high-quality product offerings ensure reliable performance for our customers.
