Trane Thermal Management System Innovations Set New Cooling Standards for the Data Center Industry

DAVIDSON, N.C., March 31, 2025 – Trane^® – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, is revolutionizing mission critical operations with the development of two new air-cooled chiller offerings—Magnetic Bearing chillers and Ascend chillers for facility chilled water cooling applications. Trane’s Magnetic Bearing Chiller provides unparalleled cooling capacity to address the escalating capacity needs of data center thermal management systems. Introduction of the Ascend™ chiller platform for data centers provides even greater efficiency for high ambient temperature operations.

“Next-gen microprocessors are expected to exponentially increase rack density, elevating demand for efficient, higher capacity and higher ambient air-cooled chillers,” said Steve Obstein, Vice President and General Manager, Data Centers & High-Tech, Trane Technologies. “Building on our leading platforms, in close collaboration with our customers, gives us the ability to redefine the standards of cooling efficiency, capacity, and environmental sustainability for data center owners and operators, helping them stay ahead of rapidly advancing thermal management needs.”

Magnetic Bearing Chiller Helps Maximize Cooling Capacity with a Reduced Footprint

The new air-cooled chiller, based on Trane’s proven Magnetic Bearing compressor platform, produces up to 850 tons, 3MW at data center conditions on a single unit frame. The new chiller helps maximize cooling capacity per square foot of unit footprint, often allowing for a reduction in the number of chillers needed onsite and helping to enable lower installation costs. Replacing multiple chillers with a single larger capacity chiller can help reduce sound transmission to the local environment, helping reduce the impact in sound sensitive locations. 

Trane Ascend Chiller Enables Higher Ambient Temperature Operations

Through the extended capabilities of the Ascend screw-compressor chiller platform, Trane is leading with solutions that meet customer needs to address escalating ambient temperatures from greater heat density generated by modern GPUs and AI adoption. Expansion of the Trane Ascend Air-Cooled Chiller with integrated indirect free cooling, supports data center uptime with efficient operation at up to 145F. Free cooling reduces reliance on mechanical cooling, and helps reduce energy consumption and operational costs.

Designed for Higher Efficiency and Serviceability

The new air-cooled chillers use refrigerants with lower global warming potential, supporting reduced energy costs and carbon footprints. Both chillers are equipped with Trane’s Symbio® 800 unit controller with AdaptiView™ user interface, offering secure enhanced connectivity, flexibility, and serviceability. Trane supports operations and uptime throughout the lifecycle of the data center with thousands of local service experts across North America, strategically located in proximity to customers, and Smart Service options for proactive monitoring, predictive maintenance, and improved thermal management systems.