Liquid cooled server could slash cooling costs by 97%
1 min read
University of Leeds spinoff Iceotope has developed a liquid cooled computer server that it claims could cut cooling costs by 97% and compute power load by 20%.
While the cooling of servers is traditionally done using fans and air conditioning units, all of the components in the new server are completely immersed in a non-flammable liquid coolant called 3M Novec.
This eliminates the need for noisy fans required by traditional computers and the server does not require an elaborate pump to move the coolant over its components.
Instead, a simple low energy pump, located at the bottom of the cabinet, pumps a secondary coolant (water) to the top where it cascades down throughout all 48 modules due to gravity.
The secondary coolant terminates at heat exchangers within the cabinet for transfer of heat to a third and final coolant, on an external loop, taking the heat away for external cooling or reuse.
Because of the high cooling efficiency of the system, the output water can reach temperatures of up to 50°C, which can be used for heating and other uses.
The Iceotope system uses just 80W of power to harvest the heat from up to 20kilowatts of use. The server also does away with the need for ancillary data centre facilities such as computer room air conditioning units, humidity control systems and air purification.
Peter Hopton, Iceotope's cto and originator of the Iceotope concept, said: "More than five years of research, innovation and collaboration have gone into Iceotope's technology.
"The basic principle of the design has many applications and, while a few years away, there is no reason why every home shouldn't make better use of the surplus heat from consumer electronics, imagine having your pc or tv plumbed into the central heating system."
