TYSONS, Va. (July 21, 2025) — Representing a major leap forward in sustainable data center infrastructure, Shumate Engineering is proud to announce that its revolutionary Hybrid-Dry/Adiabatic-Cooling (HD/AC) design has been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The design—co-invented by R. Stephen Spinazzola, PE, Shumate's Director of Mission Critical Services, and Justin Penrod, PE, Shumate’s Director of Mechanical Engineering—gives data center operators the ability to cut power consumption by 50 percent and water use by 93 percent compared to conventional cooling systems.

“With the need for massive computing power taking hold around the world, the data center industry is booming. However, the power and water required to cool racks and keep them functional has limited progress,” said Spinazzola, who now holds seven engineering patents. “This solution uses a single closed loop to run two taps at different water temperatures, cooling high-density racks through both fans and direct liquid.”

The ability to alternate between these two approaches sets the design apart—drastically reducing the resources needed to support hyperscale data centers, including those powering artificial intelligence, which is fueling explosive growth in the sector.

“Major data center projects, often backed by the biggest tech names, have resorted to extreme measures to meet demand, from building high-density centers that span city blocks to recommissioning nuclear power plants. Our design uses half the power and less than 10 percent of the water of traditional systems—delivering massive savings in natural resources and billions in potential cost reductions,” said Daren Shumate, PE, Founder and Managing Principal of the Vienna, Va.-based firm.

The HD/AC system features a closed-loop configuration with two distinct cooling flows:

• 68°F water for traditional air-cooled CRAC systems

• 90°F water for direct-to-chip liquid cooling

At its core is a hybrid adiabatic cooler—a dry cooler with intelligent “trim” evaporative capability that activates only when outdoor conditions require it. During cooler seasons or off-peak hours, the system operates in economizer mode, fully leveraging ambient temperatures. In warmer periods, it modulates efficiently to maintain thermal balance without excessive energy or water use.

“This patent affirms our commitment to solving real-world problems with high-performance, sustainable design,” said Penrod. “With HD/AC, we’re bridging the gap between old and new IT loads while significantly reducing environmental impact.”

The timing of the innovation is critical. As data center operators face increased pressure from regulators and hyperscalers to improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), HD/AC offers a scalable, future-ready solution. It’s ideal for retrofitting legacy data centers, supporting mixed IT loads, and enabling new builds to meet aggressive ESG targets.

Shumate Engineering also credits its intellectual property legal team at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox for bringing the years-long patent process to completion.

“This milestone reflects collaboration, persistence, and a relentless focus on performance, sustainability, and innovation,” Shumate added. “We’re just getting started.”

Key Benefits of the HD/AC Design:

• 50% reduction in power use compared to conventional air and liquid cooling systems

• 93% less water use thanks to dry-first cooling with minimal evaporative assist

• Dual-temperature delivery for legacy and modern liquid-cooled racks

• Fully closed-loop system to minimize contamination and corrosion

• Adaptive economization that adjusts in real-time for peak efficiency