| Project Detail |
Current state-of-the-art, large-scale data centers use air-cooling technology, but with computer processor power requirements increasing above 500 watts and rack power increasing above 50 kW, liquid cooling will be required. The majority of liquid cooling systems today use positive pressure, forced water flow, and finned cold plates for heat transfer. This cools well, and leaks occasionally, but the thermal resistance can be improved with a nucleate boiling approach.
Project Innovation + Advantages:
Chilldyne proposes improving data center energy efficiency by developing a high-performance cold plate with a helical turbulator that increases the heat transfer rate by a factor of 3. The cold plate uses flowing water and nucleate boiling, where the surface temperature is higher than the saturated fluid temperature, under sub-atmospheric pressure for maximum heat transfer. This technology will improve data center efficiency, enable data centers to operate in hotter climates and supply hotter water for heat reuse, and enable processors to operate more efficiently at lower temperatures. Chilldyne’s approach could result in less power consumed by data centers for cooling and power consumed by liquid cooled servers, and continue to maintain efficiency as chip power grows to 2500 watts and above. The sub-atmospheric pressure system will also improve system reliability by eliminating water leaks. |
