Case Study: Virginia Tech achieves world-class supercomputing performance and avoids a new data center with Vertiv (Liebert) cooling

Virginia Tech - Customer Case Study

Virginia Tech tasked Vertiv with cooling an ambitious supercomputer made from a 1,100‑node cluster of Power Mac G5s that created extreme, high‑density heat loads the campus could not handle with traditional room cooling. Vertiv supplied Liebert family products, including the Liebert XD supplemental cooling system and Liebert Foundation racks, to address the concentrated heat and tight schedule.

Vertiv implemented a hybrid solution—two Liebert 20‑ton Deluxe System/3 room units supplemented by 48 Liebert XDV rack‑mounted cooling modules, custom racks and a three‑phase UPS—delivered and configured in under three months. The Vertiv solution eliminated the need for a new data center, optimized energy efficiency and space utilization, kept the project on schedule, and helped the system achieve 10.28 teraflops (ranked the world’s third‑fastest at the time).

Virginia Tech