Johnson Controls has announced its newest innovation in data centre thermal management, the YORK YDAM air-cooled magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller.
The innovative chiller is purpose-built to overcome the complex space and site challenges in high-density, multistory data centres.
Built around the company's award-winning YORK YVAM chiller technology, YDAM delivers best-in-class cooling capacity within a compact footprint, helping data centres scale faster and more efficiently without consuming water.
Due to increasing land constraints, multistory data centres and AI factories are becoming more common, increasing the density of the white space (where the racks live) by up to 10 times.
Data centre leaders therefore need higher density thermal management solutions to fit a shrinking roofline.
With 3.5MW of cooling, YDAM delivers up to 20 per cent increased capacity density in a more compact footprint than competing solutions.
It fits on a 53-foot, standard flatbed trailer, making it easy to ship and minimizing transportation, rigging and lifting costs. Johnson Controls will begin shipments in late 2026.
Johnson Controls vice president and general manager of global data centre solutions, Austin Domenici, said AI and high performing computing are pushing data centres beyond traditional limits.
“Vertical sites can unlock new growth opportunities, but they demand thermal management solutions that deliver maximum cooling outputs in minimum space," he said.
“The impressive capacity and reduced footprint of YDAM could allow operators to cut the number of chillers on site by up to half, accelerating deployments and helping meet skilled onsite labour needs."
YDAM chillers utilise YORK magnetic bearing compressors, allowing high chilled-fluid setpoints to support 45°C warm-water cooling of the latest generation of inference and training GPUs.
They are also capable of operating with wide temperature differences, helping to reduce pump size and energy consumption – delivering CapEx and OpEx savings.
Developed in the state-of-the-art Johnson Controls Advanced Development and Engineering Centre (JADEC), YDAM chillers are tested against the most extreme real-world conditions, ensuring unmatched performance and reliability.
YORK YDAM chillers are backed by a robust network of resources, including dedicated support teams and fast service and parts delivery.