How do liquid-to-chip cooling technology, rear door heat exchanger cooling systems, and immersion cooling achieve efficient cooling in data centres?

Data centres are the backbone of the digital age, powering our online world. However, the rapid advancement of technology has led to an exponential increase in data centre heat loads, making cooling a pressing concern. In response to this challenge, innovative cooling technologies have emerged, including liquid-to-chip cooling, rear door heat exchanger cooling systems, and immersion cooling. These cutting-edge solutions aim to achieve efficient and effective cooling while minimizing energy consumption and maximizing cost savings.

In this article we will introduce three cooling solutions to tackle heat dissipation in hardware and data centres:

1. Liquid-to-chip cooling
2. Rear-door heat exchanger cooling
3. Immersion cooling

Liquid-to-chip cooling technology explained

Liquid-to-chip cooling technology is a revolutionary approach to cooling data centres. It involves circulating a cooling liquid directly over the heat-generating components of servers, efficiently dissipating the heat. This method eliminates the need for traditional air cooling systems, which can be less efficient and result in higher energy consumption.

Liquid-to-chip cooling systems typically consist of a network of microchannels embedded within a heat sink, which is in direct contact with the server’s chips. The cooling liquid, usually a dielectric fluid or a mixture of water and additives, flows through these microchannels, absorbing the heat generated by the chips. The liquid then transfers the heat to a heat exchanger, where it is dissipated into the environment.

The main advantage of liquid-to-chip cooling technology is its superior cooling efficiency. By directly targeting the heat source, it can effectively remove heat from servers, maintaining optimal operating temperatures. This enables data centres to operate at higher power densities without the risk of thermal throttling or overheating. Liquid cooling also allows for more compact server designs, as it eliminates the need for large heat sinks and fans.

Another benefit of liquid-to-chip cooling is its potential for energy savings. By removing the need for traditional air cooling systems, which consume significant amounts of energy, data centres can reduce their overall power consumption. Additionally, liquid cooling enables the use of higher ambient temperatures, further reducing energy requirements. Overall, liquid-to-chip cooling technology offers a more sustainable and efficient solution for data centre cooling.

Rear door heat exchanger cooling systems explained

Rear door heat exchanger cooling systems provide an alternative approach to liquid cooling. Instead of circulating a cooling liquid directly over the chips, these systems utilize a heat exchanger unit attached to the back of server racks to absorb and remove heat.

A rear door heat exchanger consists of a series of heat exchanger coils or plates, which are in direct contact with the hot air exhausted by the servers. As the hot air passes through the heat exchanger, it transfers its heat to a separate cooling circuit, usually containing chilled water or a refrigerant. This cooled fluid is then circulated back to the heat exchanger, where it absorbs more heat from the server exhaust. The now heated fluid is then directed to a cooling tower or another heat rejection system, where the heat is dissipated into the environment.

One of the key advantages of rear door heat exchanger cooling systems is their ease of implementation. These systems can be retrofitted to existing server racks, making them a cost-effective cooling solution for data centres that want to improve their cooling efficiency without significant infrastructure changes. Rear door heat exchangers also provide localized cooling, targeting the hot exhaust air directly, which can result in more efficient heat removal.

Another benefit of rear door heat exchanger cooling systems is their ability to recover waste heat. The heated fluid from the heat exchanger can be repurposed for other applications, such as space heating or hot water generation, further increasing the overall energy efficiency of the data centre. This heat recovery capability can contribute to significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

Immersion cooling technology explained

Immersion cooling technology takes a unique approach to data centre cooling by submerging servers in a dielectric fluid, which rapidly and evenly dissipates heat. This method eliminates the need for traditional cooling systems entirely, as the liquid directly conducts heat away from the server components.

In an immersion cooling system, the servers are placed in specially designed enclosures filled with a dielectric fluid, such as mineral oil or synthetic hydrocarbon. The fluid completely surrounds the servers, making direct contact with all components, including the chips, memory modules, and power supplies. As the servers operate, the heat generated is transferred to the fluid, which carries it away from the components.

One of the major advantages of immersion cooling technology is its exceptional cooling efficiency. By immersing the servers in a cooling fluid, heat can be dissipated more effectively compared to traditional air or liquid cooling methods. This enables data centres to achieve lower operating temperatures and maintain consistent performance, even under heavy workloads. Immersion cooling is particularly beneficial for high-performance computing applications, where maintaining low temperatures is crucial for optimal performance.

Another advantage of immersion cooling is its potential for space savings. As servers are immersed in the cooling fluid, there is no need for additional space for air conditioning units or heat exchangers. This compact design allows for higher server densities, maximizing the utilization of data centre floor space.

Furthermore, immersion cooling technology offers excellent noise reduction. Without the need for fans or other cooling mechanisms, servers can operate silently or with significantly reduced noise levels. This can be particularly advantageous in office environments or data centres located in urban areas.

Conclusion

As discussed in this article the technologies of liquid-to-chip cooling, rear door heat exchanger cooling, and immersion cooling all strive to improve cooling in high-density and/or heavy workload environments. Your choice in technology deployment will depend on budget, technical and commercial requirements, SLA commitments and availability and support for technology implementation.