Project Scope: Adding 25 megawatts to Los Alamos National Labs' secured supercomputer facility without interrupting operations or compromising security protocols.
Outcome: Power capacity doubled with zero downtime achieved through precise coordination and phased installation approach.
The SCC Infrastructure Upgrades Project represents one of MTI's most challenging and successful endeavors, executed at Los Alamos National Labs within a secured facility housing the world's fastest supercomputers. This project required bringing an additional 25 megawatts of power into an existing facility while maintaining 100% uptime for critical computing operations.
Operating in an environment with alarms for vibration, smoke detection, dust detection, and leak detection (any of which could shut down the supercomputers), MTI successfully transformed the facility's cooling system from air chilled to warm water cooling. The project involved installing multi-level cooling towers outside with 36-inch steel pipe running underground into the facility, requiring precision welding inside the existing structure while extracting all smoke and dust to avoid triggering sensitive detection systems.
When the new water piping weight exceeded the existing structural capacity, MTI cut out existing concrete floors, reinforced them with new steel, and poured thicker foundations while maintaining the facility's operational requirements. The project included heat exchangers, switches, switch gears, substations, transmission lines, new cooling towers with outside infrastructure, and the installation of warm water cooling delivered directly through computer racks in a complete clean room environment.