Computer servers dipped in liquid coolant turn out as energy savers
Innovations in the world of technology are constantly emerging. One can’t help but get caught unaware of things to come because they happen fast. The best thing to do is to be always on the lookout for what is new because just when you thought that technology is at its peak, there is more to come. After all, acquiring knowledge about the progress in technology is a continuing process.
Engineers at the US-based Sandia National Laboratories are pioneering an innovative approach by submerging computer servers in liquid coolant, which dramatically decreases the reliance on traditional, energy-intensive cooling systems. This groundbreaking technique not only enhances cooling efficiency but also has the potential to reduce energy consumption by an impressive 70%. This advancement could significantly reshape the architecture of data centers, leading to more sustainable practices.
Dave Martinez, engineering program project lead for Sandia’s Infrastructure Computing Services, said: “Complete immersion of computer components appears to be the most effective way to cool them.” “We place whole computers — their power cables, everything — in a liquefied solution. We take an entire rack and drop it into fluid contained in big immersion tanks,” he added. He believes that this direct contact between a liquid coolant and electrified equipment “could reshape the future designs of data centers.”
By submerging all parts of the computing servers in a liquid coolant that doesn’t conduct electricity, 100% of the generated heat can be captured, almost entirely eliminating the need for the power-hungry fans and chillers used in conventional cooling systems. Dave estimates that this type of cooling system, using liquid approximately the viscosity of cooking oil, would cut energy consumption by 70%. Unlike water-chill systems that require evaporation to lower operating temperatures, no water is lost; the coolant gives up its heat to the open air, given the right temperature differential.
Sandia’s forward-thinking approach arises from projections that the increasing water and electrical power demands for cooling in high-performance computing eventually will exceed the resources of small towns and become an unsupportable burden. To address this, Sandia is formally testing a commercial nonconductive liquid system from Barcelona-based company Submer Technologies throughout the summer. According to the Submer website, their single-phase immersion cooling system uses a biodegradable, nontoxic, nonflammable and noncorrosive liquid.
In 2020, Submer, in collaboration with Intel Corp., introduced the idea of a liquid coolant that would bathe all components of a computing system to provide even cooling and allow higher operating temperatures. As a bonus, the warmer temperature of the returning liquid can offer some heat to adjacent buildings during winter months and can be used to heat labs and showers in the summer through heat-exchange processes.
Sandia will conduct comprehensive tests on this system, evaluating hardware reliability and infrastructure support cost and effort. A case study is expected to be released this fall to assess the pros and cons of the technology.