In the mid 1990s, IBM realized that conventional air cooling wasn't going to be enough for the “fully populated” version of their new S/390 G5 server line. Having tried liquid cooling previously in other systems and wanting to avoid its limitations in their flagship product, what they needed was new thinking and a better alternative.  They needed Glacier Bay.

For IBM the answer was a direct-expansion refrigerating system designed around the first ever 350v, BLDC variable-speed hermetic compressor (designed and built by Glacier Bay).  The innovative compressor was coupled to a compact, custom solid-copper contact heat exchanger and stepper valve flow control.  The complete system was designed as a field replaceable “cartridge” unit and put under the control of our custom electronics package.  The resulting system performed so well that the decision was made to use it throughout the S/390 product line — ten times more use than was originally planned.

IBM isn’t the only company to count on Glacier Bay for a better thermal management solution.  We have created comprehensive, fully integrated thermal systems for NASA, General Motors, Chrysler, DARPA, Hewlett-Packard, L3 Communications, United Defense and others.  Whether the problem is the dissipation of internally generated heat or protecting electronic devices from Antarctic cold, Glacier Bay can resolve the issue more effectively and efficiently than anyone else.