Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the data center landscape. Back in 2020, AI applications accounted for 10% of data center power capacity. According to IT analyst firm Omdia, it is now 30% and could rise to 45% by 2030. As a result, server rack densities are climbing: From 7 kW per rack in 2021, rack density is now up to an average of 12 kW today across the industry, according to AFCOM’s State of the Data Center 2024 report. 25% of data centers have racks in excess of 20 kW and a handful report racks of more than 50 kW. Experts expect this rack density trend to accelerate rapidly in the coming years.

With thousands of high-powered chips and expensive graphics processing units (GPUs) packed into modern servers and racks, data centers are upgrading their power and cooling infrastructure to serve AI workloads. Dell’Oro Group predicts that data center infrastructure spending could surpass $1 trillion annually within five years. Yet the value to that investment could be undermined by failure to pay attention to one simple and inexpensive, yet often neglected, aspect of data center performance – cleanliness.

AI servers produce immense heat loads. Even a small amount of dust buildup on fans, radiators, or air intakes significantly reduces cooling efficiency. Dust in pumps, heat exchangers, and around fittings can cause malfunctions or reduce flow rates in servers, fans, and air and liquid cooling systems. Modern densely packed racks have little airflow tolerance. Any airflow disruption caused by dust can lead to localized hotspots, potentially shutting down clusters or triggering thermal throttling.

Static buildup, too, becomes a greater menace in an AI environment. The presence of dirt and dust inside equipment heightens the risk of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Charged particles get pulled into fans, air filters, and equipment internals and this can lead to short circuits and expensive downtime. Such incidents can lead to insurance and warranty headaches.

Some attempt to address these threats with improved filtration. Certainly, deploying MERV 13–16 or HEPA filters in critical areas is a wise investment. However, particulate continues to accumulate throughout the data center despite excellent filtration such as:

• Microscopic silica (dust from concrete flooring or construction)
• Skin cells, hair, and textile fibers from personnel
• Metals or oxide particles from cable/jacketing wear
• Carbon and soot particles, especially in urban environments
• Humidity-bonded dust that clings to cables and fans.

Noticeable buildup of harmful particulate occurs in a data center within six to nine months. Within 12 to 18 months, areas under raised floors and inside equipment can become clogged with material that chokes airflow that can lead to severe overheating and system failures. In facilities utilizing liquid cooling on high-powered GPUs, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Comprehensive Cleaning
Office cleaners will only wipe equipment surfaces. Data center personnel tasked with cleaning duties are unlikely to have the time to do more than a cursory job. They will miss critical areas such as:

• Heavy dust and particulate under raised floors, which gets pulled into equipment via cooling airflow.
• Internal server components such as fans, heat sinks, filters, and the rear exhaust are rarely cleaned well as the dirt lurking inside is hidden by the server enclosure, and systems are challenging to clean while they are live.
• Ceiling tiles and upper cable trays are magnets for dust that falls down onto the racks, contaminating the equipment below.
• Cooling coils and ductwork are rarely cleaned as they are hard to access yet critical for airflow.
• UPS rooms and backup generator spaces are rarely given much cleaning attention as they are generally out of sight.
• Airflow plenums and CRAC/CRAH units are areas of concentrated airflow where contaminants build up
• Power distribution units (PDUs) are vulnerable due to constant thermal cycling and airflow.

Bottom Line
This new era of AI data center operations demands a professional approach to cleaning.
Every data center must be cleaned thoroughly at least once a year for optimal protection of equipment and maintenance. In urban areas, near construction zones, and in high-powered AI data centers, the timeframe may shrink to as little as three months before buildup becomes hazardous.