QuantumScape introduced the QS PowerBlock for AI data centers. The modular system can deliver four times the power density and five times the runtime of current data center industry standards.
The QS PowerBlock brings QS solid-state lithium-metal battery technology into AI data centers, supporting safer, higher-performing energy storage and 800VDC architecture. An adaptable reference design, QS PowerBlock can fit a variety of module, shelf, and rack formats, and is designed for deployment in industry-standard power rack configurations. Paired with advanced power system components, it can provide AI data center customers with a compelling combination of power, runtime, and safety to power the 1 MW racks of next-generation data centers.
In a demonstration using an expected data center training workload, the QS PowerBlock exceeded key specifications set by the Open Compute Project (OCP), the industry consortium that defines open hardware standards for data centers:
- 4x the power density, allowing power-hungry AI systems to integrate into compact and cost-effective data center designs.
- 5x longer runtime, giving data center operators more margin to smooth out power fluctuations and improve hardware productivity.
- Better safety compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, helping protect billion-dollar infrastructure investments. QS battery cells have demonstrated thermal stability well over 300 °C in third-party and customer safety testing, compared to conventional lithium-ion cells, which typically go into catastrophic thermal runaway at ~180 °C.
“QS solid-state battery technology offers an unmatched combination of energy, power, and safety for many different applications, from electric vehicles to AI data centers and beyond,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, CEO and president of QS. “With the QS PowerBlock, we are bringing this value proposition to AI data center customers, to enable the 800VDC designs that will power the next phase of AI growth.”
QS also announced that it has joined the OCP as a member. As AI workloads push data centers toward unprecedented power density, QS is joining industry leaders to build the open standards that infrastructure providers depend on.
The QS PowerBlock performance results were achieved through prototype testing and modeled system configurations under controlled conditions, with comparisons benchmarked against the OCP Open Rack V3 (ORV3) specification. Final QS PowerBlock performance will depend on product design, system configuration and real-world operating conditions.
