Applications
Flanges for coolant distribution units
The coolant distribution unit is where the facility water and the technology cooling loop meet across a heat exchanger. CDU builders and skid fabricators need flanges that are clean, consistent from lot to lot and fully traceable.
For CDU piping, specify 316L flanges, Class 150 or PN16, weld neck or lap joint with a stub end, pickled and passivated and 100% PMI checked, so the secondary side meets technology cooling loop cleanliness from the factory.
What a CDU does
A CDU pumps the technology cooling system coolant through the racks and exchanges its heat with the facility water through a plate heat exchanger. It also filters the coolant, controls its temperature and pressure, and isolates the IT equipment from the larger, less clean facility water system. Row-level and facility-level CDUs connect to the building with flanged primary and secondary connections.
Primary and secondary connections
| Side | Fluid | Flange |
|---|---|---|
| Primary (facility water) | Facility water or glycol | 316L, 304L or A105, to match the facility piping |
| Secondary (TCS) | Inhibited water or PG25 | 316L, pickled and passivated, weld neck or lap joint |
| Drains, vents, sampling | Either side | Socket weld or threaded, same grade as the line |
If the building's facility water is carbon steel and the CDU primary connection is stainless, many specifications isolate the joint with an insulating gasket kit. See how.
What CDU builders get from RIC
- Drawing-based supply: flanges and stub ends to your drawing and bore, repeatable from order to order.
- Clean stainless: pickled and passivated to ASTM A380 and A967 when specified.
- Traceability: heat number stamped before machining, lot number on every flange, EN 10204 3.1 certificate with every lot.
- Mixed orders: a few pieces of many sizes in one shipment.
- European builds: PED 2014/68/EU material manufacturer certification from TÜV Rheinland for EN 1092-1 work.
Frequently asked questions
Can you supply CDU builders directly?
Yes. We can supply flanges and stub ends to equipment builders as repeat, drawing-based orders, with consistent marking and an EN 10204 3.1 certificate for every lot. Small mixed quantities are welcome.
Can flanges be supplied to our drawing?
Yes. Send the drawing with material, face finish, bore and any special machining. We confirm feasibility at quotation.
Which flanges suit the secondary side of a CDU?
316L or 304L weld neck or lap joint flanges, Class 150 or PN16, pickled and passivated, with 100% PMI. The secondary side carries TCS coolant to the racks, so it is built to clean loop standards.