International research team develops technology based on gallium and other metals.
Streaming, cloud storage, artificial intelligence – the global rise of digitalization is driving a growing demand for data centers. This also means a greater need for energy to operate and cool these facilities. According to a Goldman Sachs forecast, the energy consumption of data centers is expected to increase by 160 percent by 2030.
An innovation could significantly reduce this projected consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers have developed a material based on aluminum nitride and Galinstan, a liquid alloy of gallium, indium, and tin at room temperature. This material dissipates heat from high-performance electronic devices far more effectively than previously known materials. Cooling systems account for 40 percent of data centers’ energy consumption, but the scientists suggest that the new technology could cut cooling demands by 13 percent. This would reduce the need for complex cooling systems and potentially enhance computational performance thanks to improved heat dissipation.
Collaboration Between Chinese and U.S. Universities Bridges Research Gap
The study, published in Nature Nanotechnology, is part of a project on thermal interface materials, which aim to efficiently dissipate heat from electronic devices. The collaborative effort between Chinese and U.S. universities bridged the gap between these materials’ theoretical potential and practical performance.
So far, the material has been tested on small-scale devices in the lab. The next step involves trials in data centers in collaboration with industry partners. Beyond data centers, the researchers see potential applications in other energy-intensive sectors, such as aerospace, where their invention could enhance efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Learn more: A few years ago, we reported on Sony using Galinstan to cool its PlayStation 5.
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