Data Centre Cooling Filtration

Q: What is closed-loop cooling in a data centre?

Closed-loop cooling is a system in which a fluid circulates through pipework and cooling equipment to transfer heat away from servers and other equipment. The heat is then rejected through a heat exchanger, chiller or another cooling arrangement before the fluid recirculates. Closed-loop systems can help limit direct fluid losses, but they still require appropriate water treatment, filtration and maintenance. The specific requirements depend on the cooling design and whether the circuit serves facility cooling or IT equipment directly.

Q: Why does a closed-loop cooling system need filtration?

Debris can enter a cooling circuit during installation, commissioning and maintenance, while corrosion can generate iron oxide and other metallic particles over time. If these contaminants accumulate, they may contribute to fouling or operational problems in susceptible components, including pumps, valves and heat exchangers. Filtration helps manage suspended contaminants as part of a wider system-cleanliness strategy. The appropriate filtration method depends on the type and size of the particles, the fluid specification and the requirements of the cooling equipment.

Q: Can magnetic filters remove magnetite from cooling water?

DataMagXT can capture magnetite and other iron-based particles. Although not designed to do so, the technology can also remove non-magnetic particles through heterocoagulation (entrapment).

Q: How can magnetic filtration extend the life of bag and cartridge filters?

DataMagXT captures ferrous contamination before it reaches downstream bag and cartridge filters. This reduces the amount of magnetic debris accumulating on the filter media, helping to extend service life and reduce the frequency of filter changes.

Q: Can magnetic filtration reduce data centre cooling maintenance costs?

Yes. DataMagXT can help reduce maintenance costs by capturing ferrous debris before it reaches downstream filtration equipment. This can extend bag and cartridge filter life, reduce consumable usage and minimise the labour required for filter changes. DatamagXT also helps protect high value assets such as pumps, valves and instrumentation ensuring the cooling loops remain fully operational.

Q: Can magnetic filtration be used during cooling-system commissioning?

DataMagXT is suitable for helping capture ferrous debris in a cooling circuit during commissioning. Construction debris, corrosion products and other contaminants may need to be addressed through a planned process involving flushing, filtration, water treatment and cleanliness verification.

Q: How do you select a magnetic filter for a closed-loop cooling circuit?

Filter selection starts with understanding the application and the contaminants that need to be removed. Important considerations include: Fluid type: water, water-glycol mixtures or another specified coolant. Flow rate: normal and maximum operating flow. Operating conditions: system pressure and temperature. Contamination: particle type, size, concentration and magnetic properties. Filtration requirements: required capture performance and any complementary mechanical filtration. Installation: available pipework, pressure drop, access and maintenance requirements. System compatibility: materials, coolant additives and equipment manufacturer specifications. Eclipse Magnetics can assess these requirements on your behalf and provide a fully automated solution.

Home / Magnetic Filtration for Data Centre Closed-Loop Cooling

Data centre closed-loop cooling is gaining popularity as data centre designers and commissioners look to move away from open-loop cooling towers to reduce water consumption, which can be many millions of gallons per day. Effective filtration and debris collection are essential in data centre closed-loop cooling systems because the same fluid circulates continuously through kilometres of mild steel piping. Over time, iron oxide or magnetite can build up in the fluid causing damage to valves, pumps and sensitive instrumentation, in addition to reducing cooling efficiency.

DataMagXT by Eclipse Magnetics is a high performance automated magnetic filtration system designed to manage contamination in data centre cooling circuits, reduce maintenance demands and help protect critical cooling infrastructure.

By capturing ferrous contamination before it reaches downstream bag and cartridge filters, magnetic filtration can significantly extend consumable filter life, reduce the frequency of filter changes and minimise manual intervention. Additionally reducing the need to dispose of mixed waste, which is often restricted in many countries. DataMagXT is the most ecological filtration solution on the market.

With a compact, modular design, negligible energy requirements and an automated cleaning cycle completed in under 10 seconds, DataMagXT helps data centre operators take a proactive approach to cooling system cleanliness while supporting operational efficiency and sustainability objectives. Fluid flow is never interrupted, a dry ferrous contamination cake is generated which can be easily recycled.

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Why Data Centre Cooling Systems Need Effective Filtration

Contamination including ferrous debris can become a problem for closed-loop cooling systems for data centres, as the pipework corrodes and rust and scale develop, ferrous oxide particles breakaway from the steel pipes causing damage to the valves, pumps and heat exchangers. This can compromise heat-transfer performance and increase the maintenance burden on critical cooling infrastructure.

Preventative filtration helps manage contamination before it builds up, supporting system cleanliness and helping operators reduce the risk of avoidable maintenance and disruption.

Closed-loop systems often rely on additives, anti-freeze and biocides such as propylene glycol to reduce the risk of bacterial growth, so it is important to choose a filtration method that does not strip the fluid of these additives, such as magnetic filtration. DataMagXT utilises permanent high energy Rare Earth magnets to capture ferrous contamination without relying on a consumable membrane as its separation mechanism. Its automated cleaning cycle returns clean purged fluid to the cooling circuit, avoiding wastewater generation and glycol loss during the cleaning process. It collects contamination as a dry cake suitable for recycling.

How Magnetic Filtration Improves Data Centre Cooling

DataMagXT uses a super high gradient magnetic field to attract and retain ferrous and paramagnetic particles circulating within a cooling system.

Unlike membrane filtration, which relies on the physical characteristics and micron rating of filter media, magnetic filtration does not depend on a defined pore size to capture magnetically responsive particles.

Installing DataMagXT before bag or cartridge filters enables the capture of contamination before it reaches the membrane filters and therefore extends their service life and reduces the frequency of consumable replacement. The smaller the micron rating of membrane filters the less contamination it can collect prior to them becoming blinded, reducing or starving the cooling circuit of flow.

DataMagXT: Magnetic Filtration for Data Centre Cooling

Our custom designed data centre magnetic filtration system provides effective filtration of ferrous metal debris found in closed-loop cooling pipework. DataMagXT is an automated magnetic filter that runs 24/7 reducing the need for downtime during filtration cleaning, compared to membrane filters.

DataMagXT key features:

Fully automated system
Extends bag and cartridge filter life
Reduces maintenance and operating costs
Compact size
Fast cleaning cycle
Not micron rated – can collect sub-micron particles
Very low energy consumption due to the use of permanent Rare Earth magnets
Full flow filter
Modular system – can be adapted to any flow rate
Containerised ‘plug & play’ systems available for rapid deployment

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Designed for Integration and Remote Control

DataMagXT can be configured to suit the flow requirements and layout of individual cooling circuits. Its compact footprint supports integration into existing data centre facilities, while containerisation of the filtration equipment, pipework, valves and controls can enable deployment where space and installation time are important considerations.

The system is controlled through its own PLC, with provision for local or remote control room operation where required. This supports integration into operational workflows and helps reduce the need for routine manual interaction with the filter.

Support Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is essential to managing contamination before it affects cooling system performance. By continuously managing ferrous debris and automating the cleaning process, DataMagXT can help operators reduce routine maintenance demands and maintain a proactive approach to system cleanliness.