Should You Be Interested in Liquid Cooling?

The future of technology will be driven by two commodities:  power and data.

Whether we look at the trends in connected homes or the rise of the smart factory, it seems obvious that data is going to drive our world more than ever before.  The internet is providing the means by which machines can talk to each other, and the amount of data they are sharing is growing at a rapid rate.  When we also consider the latest innovations in machine learning, data is going to be amongst the most important commodity around the world.

Whether you welcome this trend or are concerned by it, the fact is that the internet and the data centres that serve it will become more and more important as time goes by.  This growth of data poses a significant challenge.

Higher Data Rates, Higher Energy Consumption

The processors that are generating this data are becoming faster and more capable.  Companies are actively pursuing systems that run at 112 Gbps PAM4, and it seems that speeds of a quarter-terabit per second are on the horizon.  The connector manufacturers are keeping pace with this development, and even taking the lead, and so the infrastructure is ready to cope with this surge of data.

The challenge comes when we consider the amount of energy that is required to create all of this data.  Some studies have suggested that by the middle of this decade, a fifth of all the energy generated in the world will be used in data centers.  Other studies suggest that the efficiency of new processors will improve their energy consumption.  However, what is not in doubt is that all of this processing power generates a huge amount of heat. 

Electronic equipment needs to be cooled to allow it to work at its greatest efficiency.  With the latest processors generating huge amounts of heat, designers cannot rely on static air to provide the necessary cooling.  The most popular method is to employ fans which force air through the equipment and carry the heat away.  While relatively easy to employ, using fans can be costly.  If we look at a typical air-cooled supercomputer, between 30% and 35% of its energy consumption is used just to keep it cool.

What if there was a more efficient solution to the problem of cooling electronics?

Liquid cooling is familiar to all of us.  After all, almost all cars (with a few famous exceptions) are liquid-cooled, but there is a huge difference between running water through the radiator of a car and dipping a computer into liquid.  From a young age, we are taught that electricity and water do not mix, and for good reason. 

Liquid, but not water

Water is not the only liquid that can be used to provide cooling.  By using a liquid dielectric – a liquid that is non-conductive – equipment can be surrounded by a material that is much more efficient for dissipating heat than air.  This improved cooling lets the designer do away with fans, resulting in a considerable smaller energy bill, and reduced noise pollution.

Texas-based company Engineered Fluids has created a custom-engineered coolant called Electrocool EC-130.  It has been specially designed to provide a safe dielectric environment in which to immerse electronic equipment.  However, while manufacturers know how their components perform in air, a new range of tests need to be conducted to understand the benefits of liquid cooling.

For many years, Samtec has manufactured a wide range of connectors that are designed for use in the demanding data centre market.  As more customers become interested in liquid cooling as a possible way to reduce energy consumption, Samtec has embarked on a program of testing to certify its connectors for this new environment.

Testing Connectors for Immersion Cooling

Fortunately, the suite of tests that are required to ensure connector performance in liquids are almost identical to the tests required for air cooling.  This also means that the test reports are easy to interpret for users who are used to air-cooled systems.  These tests include mating/unmating durability, current capacity and voltage ratings.

SEARAY™ Connectors - Already Tested for Immersion Cooling

Samtec is conducting immersion cooling tests for a wide range of products.  The first product family to complete testing was the SEARAY™ family (767-8997) and will be followed by the Edge Rate®  (766-8870) and mPOWER® (187-2172) series.  The completed test reports are available to download from the dedicated immersion cooling page on the Samtec website.

As our appetite for data grows, so too will our consumption of power.  This means that thermal management will become more important than ever.  It won’t be necessary, or even convenient, for all electronic devices to use liquid cooling, but for users with high energy bills, Samtec is working to become a trusted partner in the world of immersion cooling.