La Trobe University News
In a major move to bolster Australia’s digital infrastructure and sustainability credentials, La Trobe University has launched a first-of-its-kind national project to deploy a hybrid quantum artificial intelligence (AI) cooling system within an operational data centre. The effort, which is being funded by an AUD 1.1 million federal grant, aims to significantly lower the energy use and carbon emissions related to the quickly expanding data centre industry.
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A Critical Challenge: The Energy of Cooling
With the growing demand for data centre capacity due to cloud computing and AI workloads, the project comes at a critical juncture. The project partners claim that cooling systems alone can consume as much as 30% of the energy used in a data centre. The more facilities become specialised “AI-focused infrastructure,” the more difficult it is to manage these thermal demands.
The project’s lead, Professor Damminda Alahakoon of La Trobe’s Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition, pointed out that although moving workloads from inefficient office settings to purpose-built data centres has already resulted in some sustainability benefits, the next stage of efficiency calls for a significant advancement in technology.
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The Solution: A Hybrid Quantum-AI Framework
The creation of a framework for hybrid optimization is the initiative’s main goal. Three separate technology pillars are combined in this system to improve HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system management:
- Complex combinatorial problems are solved by algorithms inspired by quantum mechanics.
- Pattern recognition and cooling requirement prediction using quantum machine learning.
- To guarantee real-time stability and compatibility with current hardware, advanced classical optimization is used.
Intelligent “orchestration” is the goal of this system, in contrast to conventional cooling management, which frequently depends on reactive or static setpoints. The objective is to apply these methodologies to real-time energy systems in an operational setting to target improvements in power usage at scale, according to Craig Scroggie, CEO of NextDC.
Moving Beyond Simulation
Moving from theoretical models to practical implementation is one of the project’s most important features. Funded by the National Critical Technologies Challenge Program of the Federal Government, the project will adhere to a strict testing schedule:
- Digital Twin Testing: To improve the algorithms without endangering actual hardware, the system will initially be tested in a “high-fidelity digital twin,” which is a virtual representation of a data centre.
- Live Testbed: After validation, the system will be set up in a NextDC-run facility. It will be physically isolated.
Under real-world, uncertain circumstances, this staged strategy aims to show quantifiable decreases in energy use and emissions.
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A Powerful National Consortium
The project is a joint venture between government, business, and academics. Among the consortium are:
- La Trobe University
- The University of Western Australia’s Centre for Quantum Information, Simulation and Algorithms (QUISA)
- NextDC
- Fujitsu
- AQ Intelligence
The contribution of the University of Western Australia, under the direction of Professor Jingbo Wang, will concentrate on determining whether quantum-inspired optimization can actually produce quantifiable efficiency increases in operational, large-scale settings.
With its Digital Annealer technology, a quantum-inspired piece of hardware intended to tackle challenging real-world issues and its quantum simulators, Fujitsu Oceania is also playing a significant part. These capabilities, according to Peter Grassi, CEO of Fujitsu Oceania, are a part of a larger global goal that also includes the creation of a quantum computer with 10,000+ qubits.
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Strategic Importance and Sovereign Capability
In addition to saving energy right away, the project is seen as a critical step in safeguarding Australia’s technological future. As Craig Scroggie put it, “Australia’s sovereign quantum and digital infrastructure capability is strengthened” by deploying this capability in a live facility. It places the country at the forefront of research on high-performance, sustainable, and next-generation AI computer systems.
A number of significant policy efforts are closely associated with the program, including:
- The Quantum Strategy in the Nation
- The National AI Strategy
- The Sustainable Data Centre Action Plan for Victoria
Applications Beyond the Data Centre
The underlying optimizing framework has broad promise, notwithstanding the pilot’s concentration on data centres. The project team anticipates using the same quantum-AI methods in the future to:
- Manufacturing
- Logistics
- Smart buildings
- Renewable energy systems
Prototype testing is anticipated to produce vital performance data that will guide future deployment choices for additional critical infrastructure types throughout Australia. Australia’s quest to become a leader in quantum-enabled critical infrastructure optimization has reached a major turning point with this program.
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