Interxion - River Cooling System Demonstrator

As part of the Smart Port Challenge, a co-innovation program by the CCI of Marseille, Interxion, European leader in data centers, has launched a unique challenge. Accompanied by Dalkia Smart Building, Interxion was looking to create a demonstrator for its system of River Cooling.

This innovative device uses naturally cold water from a former underground mine to cool the servers of its two data centers located in the port of Marseille. The objective is to optimize energy consumption while being part of a sustainability approach.

The challenge was to create a demonstrator capable of presenting this concept to the general public and of illustrating in a concrete way its energy efficiency and its non-polluting nature.

To meet the Interxion challenge, we were selected to create a demonstrator based on a digital twin infrastructures. The aim was to make the concept of River Cooling accessible to the general public, by creating an immersive and educational experience.

The solution chosen is a digital duplicate such as “Google Street View”, optimized for use on a smartphone. It integrates an educational dimension and interactive content, designed to explain how the system works, demonstrate its energy gains and its environmental safety.

The project started with a phase of understanding and framing. Our team studied how a data center works and the River Cooling process, while Interxion got familiar with our digitization technologies. Five objectives have been defined for the demonstrator:

• Popularize the concept of River Cooling.
• Demonstrate environmental safety.
• Present energy gains (KPIs).
• Dispel preconceived ideas about data centers.
• Present future opportunities.

This stage led to the prototyping of a user journey designed for the smartphone. The scenario was structured around the five axes, with specific points of interest and interactions.

The capture phase mobilized a set of technologies: drone, 3D mobile scanner and photo/video/sound equipment. The survey took place at three key sites: the MRS2 data center, the pump station and the underground gallery that delivers water to the site.

The final step was to assemble all the 360° photos to create a virtual tour. Significant work has been done on graphic and textual overlays to guide the user in a fun way.

The itinerary has been designed to contextualize each place. Navigation alternates between aerial views and virtual ground visits. At each stage, “objective maps” guide the user, and rich content (text, video, sound) explains how River Cooling works.

For complex technical concepts, immersive “experiences” have been created with interactive 3D infographics. The user can manipulate these models to better understand how the installations work.

The experience concludes with a summary of the benefits of the system: impact on energy consumption, respect for the environment and prospects for future development. We invite you to discover the demonstrator on this link.