Syllabus:

GS3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

Context: 

A Microsoft-WSP Global study in Nature shows advanced liquid-cooling technologies like cold plates and immersion can reduce data center emissions, energy use and water use compared to air cooling.

More on the News 

• The tech industry, a significant global emitter, is embracing climate-friendly measures to cut its carbon footprint, especially in data centers and supply chains.
• A data center is a physical location that stores computing machines and their related hardware equipment. 
• Data centers use almost as much power for cooling as for computing. To meet climate goals and limit warming to 1.5°C, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector must cut emissions by 42% by 2030 (from 2015 levels).     
• The study found cold plates and immersion cooling can reduce data center emissions by up to 21%, energy use by 20%, and water use by over 50% compared to air cooling systems          .     
• Switching to renewables cuts emissions by 85–90%, energy use by 6–7%, and water use by 55–85%, no matter the cooling method.          

Techniques to Reduce Heat 

● Direct-to-chip cooling: Here cold plates work like ice packs for computer chips, sitting directly on hot parts, they use microchannels filled with coolant to absorb and transfer heat efficiently.

• As the coolant warms, it flows out to release heat and fresh coolant circulates in, keeping the cycle efficient. Cold plates can transfer 50–80% more heat than fan-based systems, like an ice bath outperforming a handheld fan.

● Immersion cooling: Immersion cooling, like dipping a hot pan in heat-absorbing oil, is highly effective. In one-phase cooling, the oil stays liquid and carries heat away. In two-phase cooling, the fluid vaporizes, condenses, and recycles—cooling like water in a mud pot.

Challenges in Adoption Techniques

● Coolant fluids involve different regulations, and complex designs delay deployment.

● Green retrofitting data centers and developing new technologies require substantial time and investment.

● Design and supply chain challenges hinder green cooling and renewable adoption.