Daikin Applied has introduced its D60-W Water-Cooled Chillers with Dry Coolers reference architecture, a 60 MW cooling design for AI factories based on the NVIDIA DSX AI Factory Platform with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72. The architecture integrates rack-level cooling, chillers, dry coolers and controls into a single system to support data center engineering and deployment.
D60-W supports a 60 MW IT load across six deployable units, with liquid cooling handling 92% of the load and air cooling the remaining 8%. The design uses two temperature loops: a high-temperature loop serving coolant distribution units (CDUs) and a low-temperature loop serving DDC Solutions S-Series rack containment units (RCUs). The RCUs capture residual rack heat and incorporate fire suppression and water-loop protection.
The architecture incorporates Daikin Applied Magnitude WME oil-free magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers with capacities up to 10 MW (approximately 2,843 refrigeration tons). In suitable climates, dry coolers handle most of the annual cooling load, while chillers provide support during the hottest periods. Oil-free operation eliminates oil heaters, pumps and standard oil servicing requirements, as well as oil-related startup delays.
D60-W operates in three modes depending on outdoor conditions: dry cooling with compressors off, hybrid cooling using waterside economizers and chillers, and full mechanical cooling. Dry coolers replace evaporative cooling towers, eliminating cooling-tower make-up water. Daikin Applied’s iDCM supervisory system coordinates RCUs, CDUs, chillers and dry coolers, managing load sharing, equipment operating hours and transitions between operating modes.
The design includes RideThrough and RapidRestore chiller technologies for managing power disturbances and restarting after shutdown, alongside system-level redundancy. Capacity can be expanded by adding deployable units. Daikin Applied’s CDU and data center dry cooler remain under development, with availability targeted for the second half of 2027.
“An AI factory is a system of systems,” said Karim Shalash, director of Data Center Solutions at Daikin Applied. “A cooling decision at the rack carries implications for water temperatures, flow requirements, plant operation and heat rejection. D60-W gives engineering teams a framework for working through those dependencies and developing a cooling architecture around the facility’s operating requirements.”
