Large hyperscale data centres are increasingly adopting liquid cooling to manage the heat produced by high-density computing infrastructure. While liquid cooling improves heat removal, maintaining coolant quality is essential for reliable long-term operation. Monitoring parameters such as pH, conductivity, ORP and turbidity can help operators identify changes in the cooling circuit and respond before they develop into larger problems.
For a cloud provider in Dubai, Rika Sensor supplied a liquid cooling water quality monitoring solution for a new hyperscale facility. The first phase included 2,000 high-density cabinets using cold plate liquid cooling with a propylene glycol-water mixture.
The project presented a particular deployment challenge because the cooling infrastructure and monitoring system had to be commissioned simultaneously. The solution therefore needed to be fast to install, simple to operate and ready for handover without creating additional workload for the customer’s local operations and maintenance team.
Project Background
The Dubai facility was designed around an unmanned operation model, meaning automated monitoring played an important role in day-to-day infrastructure management. The cooling system used a propylene glycol-water coolant to transfer heat from high-density computing equipment.
The project was delivered in phases, with cooling-system commissioning and monitoring installation taking place in parallel. Because the facility was still under construction and commissioning, installation teams were working in a highly congested environment.
This made conventional installation and extensive field configuration impractical. The customer required a coolant water quality sensor solution that could be deployed quickly without delaying the overall facility handover.
Challenge
The main challenge was the project’s tight deployment schedule.
Cooling-system commissioning and monitoring installation were being carried out simultaneously. As different contractors and engineering teams worked across the facility, site congestion made installation more difficult. Any monitoring solution requiring extensive field calibration, complex configuration or lengthy commissioning could potentially delay the project.
There was also an operational challenge. The local O&M team would only take responsibility for the system after site delivery. Because the team was not initially familiar with the monitoring equipment, the solution needed to be as close to plug-and-play as possible.
The customer therefore needed a system that could be installed rapidly while preserving monitoring data and avoiding a lengthy learning or reconfiguration period after handover.
Monitoring Requirement
The project required continuous liquid coolant quality monitoring across the new facility. The monitoring system needed to provide reliable measurements while being straightforward enough for rapid deployment.
Another important requirement was minimising work at the construction site. Instead of requiring every monitoring unit to be manually calibrated and configured after installation, the equipment needed to arrive prepared for commissioning.
The system also had to provide centralised data collection and support a smooth transition from the commissioning team to the customer’s O&M personnel.
Solution – Deployment & Commissioning
Rika Sensor prepared the monitoring units before shipment. Each unit was pre-calibrated, while communication addresses and basic alarm thresholds were configured at the factory.
This significantly reduced the amount of work required on site. Once the equipment arrived, technicians only needed to complete the required power and tubing connections. Field calibration was not required, allowing each monitoring point to be installed in less than 15 minutes.
A total of 86 monitoring units were distributed across the return branches of each floor. Positioning the units on the return branches provided a practical way to monitor coolant conditions after the fluid had passed through the cooling infrastructure.
For communication, monitoring data was aggregated through RS485 to local collectors. The collectors then transmitted the information through Ethernet to a temporary management platform used by the commissioning team.
This architecture allowed the project team to monitor the system during the commissioning phase without requiring the customer’s permanent operational platform to be fully configured before handover.
The installation approach was also adapted to the construction environment. To minimise interference with pipe pressure testing, the monitoring units were wall-mounted, eliminating the need for welding work on the pipework.
After official handover, the management platform accounts were transferred to the customer’s O&M team. Importantly, the historical monitoring data was retained during the transfer, so the new team could continue using the system without starting from scratch or carrying out a complete reconfiguration.
Rated Products
The deployment can use dedicated Rika Sensor products for liquid cooling applications, including a conductivity sensor for coolant monitoring, liquid cooling pH sensor, liquid cooling ORP sensor and liquid cooling turbidity sensor.
These sensors can be combined to create a comprehensive data center coolant water quality sensor system. By monitoring multiple parameters, operators can obtain a more complete view of coolant conditions throughout the cooling network.
Results
The Dubai project achieved rapid deployment without adding unnecessary complexity to the facility commissioning process. Factory pre-calibration and configuration meant that technicians could install each monitoring point in less than 15 minutes, with no field calibration required.
The wall-mounted installation method also reduced interference with pipe pressure testing and avoided the need for welding. This was particularly valuable in a congested construction environment where multiple commissioning activities were taking place simultaneously.
The 86 monitoring units provided coverage across the facility’s return branches, while RS485 and Ethernet communication enabled monitoring data to reach the temporary management platform used during commissioning.
The handover process was equally important. Once the facility was officially delivered, system access was transferred to the O&M team while historical data remained available. This avoided a lengthy reconfiguration process and gave the new operators continuity from commissioning through normal operation.
The project demonstrates how a well-prepared liquid cooling water quality sensor system can support rapid deployment in hyperscale data centres. For projects operating under tight construction and handover schedules, factory configuration, simple installation and flexible data management can significantly simplify commissioning while providing the foundation for ongoing liquid coolant quality monitoring.
