Breakthrough in Evaporative Cooling Technology Could Revolutionize Data Center Energy Efficiency

Innovative Cooling Technology Addresses Data Center Energy Challenges

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a groundbreaking cooling technology that could significantly reduce energy consumption in data centers and high-powered electronics 1

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. As artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing continue to expand, the demand for data processing – and the heat it generates – is skyrocketing. Currently, cooling accounts for up to 40% of a data center's total energy use, with global energy use for cooling projected to more than double by 2030 2

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The Breakthrough: Evaporative Cooling with Fiber Membranes

The new technology utilizes a low-cost fiber membrane with a network of tiny, interconnected pores that draw cooling liquid across its surface using capillary action. As the liquid evaporates, it efficiently removes heat from the electronics underneath without requiring additional energy 3

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Professor Renkun Chen, who co-led the project, explained, "Compared to traditional air or liquid cooling, evaporation can dissipate higher heat flux while using less energy" 1

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. The membrane sits on top of microchannels above the electronics, pulling in liquid that flows through the channels and efficiently dissipating heat.

Record-Breaking Performance

When tested across variable heat fluxes, the membrane achieved unprecedented performance. It managed heat fluxes exceeding 800 watts of heat per square centimeter – one of the highest levels ever recorded for this kind of cooling system. The technology also proved stable over multiple hours of operation 2

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Overcoming Previous Challenges

While evaporative cooling is not new, applying it effectively to high-power electronics has been challenging. Previous attempts using porous membranes were unsuccessful due to pore size issues. Chen elaborated, "Here, we use porous fiber membranes with interconnected pores with the right size. This design achieves efficient evaporation without those downsides" 3

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Potential for Wide-ranging Applications

The success of this technology showcases the potential of reimagining materials for entirely new applications. Originally designed for filtration, these fiber membranes had not been previously explored for evaporation. The team recognized that their unique structural characteristics could make them ideal for efficient evaporative cooling 1

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Future Developments and Commercialization

While the current results are promising, the technology is still operating below its theoretical limit. The team is now working to refine the membrane and optimize performance. Next steps include integrating it into prototypes of cold plates, which are flat components that attach to chips like CPUs and GPUs to dissipate heat 2

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Excitingly, the team is also launching a startup company to commercialize the technology, potentially bringing this innovative cooling solution to market in the near future 3

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Research Support and Disclosures

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and performed in part at the San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure at UC San Diego. A patent related to this work has been filed by the Regents of the University of California (PCT Application No. PCT/US24/46923) 1

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