A new thermal interface material developed by researchers led by The University of Texas at Austin could drastically cut the energy demands of data centers, offering a more sustainable solution for the rapidly growing tech industry.
A pioneering technology developed by scientists and engineers led by The University of Texas at Austin promises to revolutionize the way electronic devices are cooled, potentially reducing the massive energy consumption associated with data centers. The research team has created a novel “thermal interface material” composed of liquid metal and aluminum nitride that significantly enhances heat dissipation.
“The power consumption of cooling infrastructure for energy-intensive data centers and other large electronic systems is skyrocketing,” Guihua Yu, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute, said in a news release. “That trend isn’t dissipating anytime soon, so it’s critical to develop new ways, like the material we’ve created, for efficient and sustainable cooling of devices operating at kilowatt levels and even higher power.”
Cooling systems currently account for approximately 40% of a data center’s energy usage, amounting to 8 terawatt-hours annually.
The research team estimates that their innovative material could reduce cooling energy requirements by about 13%, which would cut overall data center energy usage by 5%. This translates to substantial cost savings and a reduction in the environmental footprint of data centers globally.
Published recently in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, this breakthrough is part of ongoing efforts to maximize the potential of thermal interface materials. These materials play a crucial role in dissipating heat from electronic devices, thus minimizing the need for extensive cooling infrastructure.
Despite extensive theoretical work suggesting significant cooling capabilities, real-world applications of past materials have often fallen short. However, the new material developed in this study bridges this gap, effectively removing up to 2,760 watts of heat from an area as small as 16 square centimeters, significantly boosting energy efficiency.
“This breakthrough brings us closer to achieving the ideal performance predicted by theory, enabling more sustainable cooling solutions for high-power electronics,” added lead author Kai Wu, a visiting professor in Yu’s research group. “Our material can enable sustainable cooling in energy-intensive applications, from data centers to aerospace, paving the way for more efficient and eco-friendly technologies.”
The importance of this breakthrough cannot be overstated. With the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and other technological advancements, data center demand is set to surge, further escalating their energy requirements. Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs projected a 160% increase in data center power demand by 2030, with AI alone predicted to drive an additional 200 terawatt-hours per year in power consumption between 2023 and 2030.
The research team utilized a mechanochemistry process to create this advanced cooling material. This process allows a controlled mixture of liquid metal and aluminum nitride to form gradient interfaces, facilitating the efficient transfer of heat. Initial lab-scale tests have shown promising results, and the researchers are now scaling up material synthesis and preparing to test with industry partners in actual data center environments.
This transformative cooling technology could lead to substantial energy savings and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring its potential to impact not just the tech industry but also the broader global effort to combat climate change.