CoolIT Systems released single-phase direct liquid cooling technology, stating it addresses the thermal challenges of high-density AI and high-performance computing. This is the company's first major thermal management update since its immersion cooling solution was introduced in 2020.
The system can remove heat at a rate exceeding 100 kilowatts per rack, significantly outperforming air cooling, which reaches its practical limit at high rack densities. This capability is critical as modern AI accelerators exceed 1,000 watts of power consumption.
Single-phase direct liquid cooling works by circulating water or a water-glycol coolant through coldplates directly mounted on high-heat components. The coolant absorbs and carries away heat in a closed loop to a coolant distribution unit, enabling higher chip and rack densities within a smaller footprint.
"Single-phase direct liquid cooling is a proven solution for the next decade of ultra-dense compute," said CoolIT Systems' Chief Technology Officer. "It supports higher performance and longer hardware life by maintaining thermal margin, which prevents thermal throttling and prolongs system longevity.
The announcement follows growing demand for more efficient data center cooling as processor power and rack density continue to rise. The paper explains how single-phase direct liquid cooling compares with two-phase and immersion cooling, and how these trends are shaping the future of thermal design.
CoolIT Systems did not specify exact deployment timelines, and the technology's effectiveness in real-world data centers remains to be tested. The paper also highlights the need for further research into long-term reliability and cost efficiency.
Source: ieee
