UIUC, Fabric8Labs develop copper cold plate for data center cooling
With AI and cloud tech booming, data centers are using way more energy; almost half of it comes from cooling and auxiliary activities.
To tackle this, engineers at UIUC and Fabric8Labs have created a new copper cold plate system that makes cooling much more efficient.
If things don't change, US server energy usage could account for up to 12% of the nation's grid load by 2028.
Cuts pressure drop up to 68%
The system uses copper plates with jagged fins, designed for maximum heat transfer and made with advanced manufacturing techniques.
Researchers estimate it could boost cooling performance by up to 32% and reduces pressure drop by up to 68% while offering the same level of cooling.
Researchers believe this could drop cooling costs in top-tier data centers from 30% of total energy use to just 1.1% and might even help solve other tricky cooling problems in electronics.