智算中心论文观察｜2026-08-18

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Volume 2026 · Issue 08-18

按期刊卷期页方式整理本期论文。每条仅使用日报已列出的可追溯公开来源，不新增未经核验事实。

Research Article余热回收

Real-Time Control of Sustainable Data Centers: A Two-Layer Model Predictive Control Framework with Workload Flexibility and Heat Recovery

Wenyu Liu, Enea Figini, Mario Paolone

Published 2026-08-17 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

This paper proposes a two-layer model predictive control (MPC) framework for the real-time operation of data centers integrated with on-site photovoltaic generation, battery energy storage, waste heat recovery, and district heating. The upper layer employs scenario-based stochastic optimization to jointly optimize intraday market participation, workload scheduling, and energy management under uncertainty. The lower layer adopts an adaptive tube-based MPC strategy that compensates short-term disturbances while tracking the dispatch references given by the upper layer. The framework further integrates multi-horizon forecasting to support real-time decision making. Microservice-based simulation studies under representative clear-sky and overcast operating conditions demonstrate that the proposed framework accurately tracks dispatch plans despite fast photovoltaic and workload fluctuations. Compared with single-layer control strategies, the adaptive lower-layer controller substantially reduces real-time dispatch deviations and the associated imbalance costs. In addition, the proposed framework naturally adapts to seasonal operating conditions and responds to carbon-aware operating signals, offering a practical approach for economically efficient, sustainable, and grid-supportive operation of future data centers.

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Research Article算电协同

Beyond the Grid: Cost, Carbon, and Capital Requirements of On-Site Power Technologies for AI Data Centers

Eliseo Curcio

Published 2026-08-08 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

Interconnection queues, not electricity prices, now govern where data centers can be built, and the standard levelized-cost comparison answers a question no developer faces: it assumes a load profile, freezes the grid price while modeling the demand that moves it, and quotes busbar costs a facility cannot buy. This paper evaluates nine on-site supply technologies against a delivered grid whose price is endogenous to projected data-center demand, on a complete-site basis that retains standby charges, with measured GPU training load, delivered fuel prices, production-pathway carbon, and statutory 45V and 48E incentive mechanics. Nothing beats the wire: gas combined cycle produces at 47 USD/MWh but costs about 114 USD per megawatt-hour of complete site energy against a 92 USD grid; four-hour storage is physically capped near 18 percent of annual energy and, charged at the margin, dirtier than the grid; hydrogen from grid-priced power fails on cost and carbon together. An investment inversion converts these findings into capital terms: conversion-hardware learning buys nothing, because free hardware still exceeds the grid for every low-carbon arm, while global electrolyser deployment on sited sub-20 USD/MWh power brings PEM hydrogen power to about 2.2 times the grid at 300 billion USD and 1.9 times at 1 trillion USD (2.7 and 2.3 for the hydrogen engine), with a carbon reduction of roughly 85 percent (6.8-fold) against grid-power production. Grid parity is not purchasable at any budget. On-site supply is an access and depth product; most current investment targets the wrong term.

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Research Article热管理与液冷

Predictive Failure Detection in Network Hardware Using Thermal Imaging and Deep Learning with Sensor Fusion

Ashly Joseph

Published 2026-08-05 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

Unplanned network hardware malfunctions can interrupt services and result in expensive downtime in data centers. A deep learning-based predictive maintenance strategy is presented that utilizes thermal imaging and power sensor data to detect early indicators of equipment breakdown in routers, switches, and servers. A simulated dataset was generated comprising annotated thermal pictures and power readings indicative of three operating states: Normal, Warning, and Critical. Three ImageNet-pretrained convolutional neural network (CNN) models ResNet-50, InceptionV3, and VGG16 were assessed together with a multi-modal CNN-LSTM fusion model that integrates visual and sensor time-series information. Experiments were performed with and without pre-processing procedures, including region-of-interest (ROI) extraction and normalization. In the absence of pre-processing, CNNs attained moderate accuracy (e.g., ResNet-50 at 52%), but ROI-based pre-processing significantly enhanced performance (ResNet-50 accuracy reaching 91%). The CNN-LSTM model attained the greatest accuracy of 94%, with precision and recall approaching 95%, illustrating the effectiveness of multi-modal fusion. The results validate that domain-specific pre-processing and sensor fusion substantially improve early failure prediction, providing a potential foundation for proactive maintenance of network hardware through non-intrusive monitoring.

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Research Article算电协同

Environmental and Economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers in the United States

Johanna Bolaños-Zuñiga, Alberto J. Lamadrid

Published 2026-08-10 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

In this study, we use electricity demand growth, cooling requirements, and backup system operation to evaluate the environmental and economic implications of artificial intelligence data centers in the United States. Our results indicate that impacts are not determined solely by facility design, but by the broader electricity, water, and land-use systems in which these facilities operate. Emissions are primarily driven by electricity consumption and therefore depend on marginal generation mixes, transmission constraints, and the spatial and temporal distribution of demand. Analysis further shows that local effects include pressures on water resources, increased noise exposure, and land-use changes, with outcomes varying across regions and infrastructure conditions. The assessment of technological and operational measures shows that improvements in energy efficiency, cooling configurations, and operational strategies can reduce these impacts, although their effectiveness depends on system-level conditions. Evaluation of regulatory and market structures suggests that existing frameworks may not fully account for location- and time-specific externalities. These findings support the need for integrated policy approaches that align data center deployment and operation with electricity system characteristics, water availability, and land-use planning to improve overall environmental and economic performance.

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Research Article算电协同

A Stackelberg-Bayesian Capacity-Market Game of Carbon Regulation and Second-Life Battery Investment under AI Data-Center Load Growth

Rouzbeh Haghighi, Ali Hassan, Sina Mohammadi, Marcus Chen I Wada, Wencong Su

Published 2026-08-04 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are driving rapid electricity load growth across all U.S. ISO/RTO regions, raising both system costs and carbon exposure. This study develops a three-level Stackelberg--Bayesian game in which a regulator (leader) sets carbon penalties and subsidies, a single ISO capacity market clears against an energy balance modeled as a classical generation-expansion problem, and technology-specific investors (followers) decide capacity and operation under incomplete information, yielding a Bayesian Nash equilibrium. The AI impact is captured parsimoniously as an additional load-growth factor on a greenfield-incremental expansion, isolating how much new capacity the growth pulls in and which technology fills it. Within this framework, we consider second-life battery (SLB) storage competing against new/first-life storage for capacity-market revenue. We quantify how a carbon tax, a renewable subsidy, and an SLB subsidy reshape the equilibrium investment mix, carbon emissions, and profit. Different scenarios are compared at the end based on cost-effectiveness and reduced carbon emissions.

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Research Article热管理与液冷

From Individual to Shared Ownership: A Coalitional Game Approach to Sustainable Co-investment

暂无可靠最新数据

Published 2026-07-29 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

This paper proposes a cooperative game-theoretic framework for sustainable co-investment in shared infrastructure under regulatory incentives. Multiple heterogeneous operators co-invest in a common infrastructure whose production capability evolves over time and is subject to operational variability. A regulator supports the deployment through incentive mechanisms designed to align individual economic investment objectives with the coalitional one. We formulate the co-investment problem as a transferable-utility (TU) coalitional game in which the value generated by cooperation depends on heterogeneous operational profiles, dynamic resource availability, investment costs, and regulatory incentive level. We show that the proposed coalitional game can be reformulated as a linear production game (LPG), whose dual prices yield a constructive and stable allocation of the cooperative surplus. Finally, we illustrate the proposed framework through a case study on co-investment among data center operators in shared renewable energy infrastructure, supported by government subsidies promoting renewable energy consumption.

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Research Article算电协同

Emission-Forecasting-Based Spatial-Temporal Carbon Response: A Multi-Agent Attention-Enhanced Deep Learning Framework

Feiyu Cai, Jing Qiu, Yi Yang, Chenxi Zhang, Xinlei Wang, Baichuan Liu, Junhua Zhao

Published 2026-07-29 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

As a major contributor to carbon emissions, the decarbonization of power systems has garnered significant societal attention. Nodal carbon intensity (NCI), a critical factor in carbon-oriented demand response, has traditionally been determined through ex-post calculations. However, this ex-post approach introduces latency in low-carbon dispatch. To address this, this paper presents a proactive ex-ante spatial-temporal carbon response framework. At its core, we develop a novel deep learning-based hierarchical design, enhanced by a dual-stage attention mechanism and a large language model (LLM)-based multi-agent cooperation system, to accurately forecast day-ahead NCI. This design effectively mitigates the impact of renewable energy uncertainty and enhances predictive resilience. On the demand side, the framework proposes a spatial-temporal carbon scheduling model that integrates geographically dispatchable loads (GDLs), including mobile energy storage systems (MESSs) and distributed data centers (DDCs). Leveraging high-accuracy day-ahead NCI predictions, the framework can effectively reduce system emissions by quickly responding to carbon intensity fluctuations. The proposed framework is tested on the modified IEEE 33-bus system. According to the simulation results, the impacts of proposed framework on dispatching latency and emission outcomes are analyzed. The results demonstrate that under a one-hour reduction in carbon scheduling latency, the proposed model and methodology can achieve over 30% emission reduction. This research breaks through the limitations of passive carbon accounting, advancing toward proactive carbon management. It offers an intelligent solution that accelerates the transition to cleaner power systems while directly supporting sustainable production goals.

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Research Article算电协同

InFactPlanner: Planning Sustainable Geo-Distributed LLM Data Centers

Nicoletta Tsiopani, Moysis Symeonides, George Pallis, Marios D. Dikaiakos

Published 2026-08-13 · arXiv · Credibility S

Abstract, interpretation and reference

Abstract

The rapid growth of LLM inference is shifting sustainability concerns from one-time training to continuous serving, where infrastructure decisions shape energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption, and service quality. Yet operators often need to compare deployment alternatives before large-scale infrastructure is built, making direct measurement costly, slow, and sometimes infeasible. We present InFactPlanner, a trace-driven decision-support framework for what-if analysis of sustainable AI data center deployment for LLM inference across single and geo-distributed sites. InFactPlanner combines query traces, hardware-model profiles, candidate site configurations, PUE/WUE parameters, renewable generation models, and time-varying grid carbon intensity to estimate power, energy, carbon emissions, water use, latency, and server utilization. The framework abstracts low-level serving effects into configurable hardware-model profiles, enabling rapid comparison of site selection, capacity placement, hardware, model, renewable integration, and routing choices. We validate the energy accounting pipeline by reproducing reference LLM inference energy estimates with less than 10% deviation, evaluate scalability across multiple data centers and server counts, and demonstrate scenario-driven decision analyses for hardware selection, renewable placement, geographic deployment, and carbon-aware routing. Our results show that sustainability-optimal choices can differ from latency-optimal ones, and that the carbon value of deployment depends strongly on the local grid mix.

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