Johnson Controls Unveils Thermal Management Guides for Gigawatt-Scale AI Data Centers

Johnson Controls has launched a Reference Design Guide Series for 1-gigawatt AI data centers, announced in a press release. The guides cover thermal management strategies for water-cooled, air-cooled, and absorption chiller systems, integrating advanced building controls for large-scale AI infrastructure.

The first guide in the series provides a detailed blueprint for water-cooled chiller plants, including full thermal chain mapping and cooling architectures suited to varying compute densities and environmental conditions. It outlines configurations using YORK centrifugal chillers, computer room air handlers, fan coil walls, and coolant distribution units.

According to the company, the designs support both liquid and air-cooled IT loads, with sizing guidance for 220MW compute quadrants and temperature parameters for all major facility loops, including Technology Cooling System loops optimized for next-generation GPUs. The reference design also aligns with NVIDIA DSX architecture for scalable deployment.

Key features include zero-water-consumption cooling via dry coolers, high-temperature loop readiness for future GPU compatibility, and enhanced energy efficiency through bifurcated loops and high-lift chillers. Future guides in the series will address air-cooled and absorption chiller configurations.