Articles tagged with "passive-cooling"
3D-printed cooling tech offers energy fix for overheated data centers
The AM2PC European research project, led by the Danish Technological Institute and Heatflow with partners from Belgium and Germany, has developed an innovative 3D-printed cooling solution for data centers and high-performance computing systems. This new cooling technology uses passive two-phase cooling based on the thermosiphon principle, where a coolant evaporates at the chip surface, rises, condenses, and returns by gravity without pumps or fans. This method efficiently removes heat—achieving a cooling capacity of 600 watts, 50% above the initial target—while consuming no additional energy for heat transport. This approach addresses the growing challenge of rising GPU power demands, which have outpaced traditional air cooling capabilities, and helps extend chip lifespan by maintaining lower operating temperatures. The core component is a 3D-printed aluminum evaporator that integrates all necessary functions into a single, leak-resistant, and reliable part, made possible through additive manufacturing. Operating at heat removal temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Celsius
energycooling-technology3D-printingdata-centerspassive-coolingthermosiphonwaste-heat-reuseVideo: Victorian-era radiator turned into cooling system for gaming PC
Billet Labs, a London-based PC cooling specialist, has repurposed a century-old cast-iron Victorian-era radiator into the central cooling system for a modern gaming PC. Weighing around 110 pounds (50 kilograms) and holding over 10 liters of liquid, the radiator serves as a massive passive cooling vessel. The PC components are mounted beneath the radiator rather than inside a conventional case, with copper heatsinks and extensive pipework connecting heat-producing parts to the radiator’s large thermal mass. This design merges industrial-age hardware with contemporary computing, resulting in a visually striking steampunk aesthetic featuring ornamental feet and rounded iron fins. This build aligns with Billet Labs’ history of unconventional, visually distinctive cooling solutions, often incorporating solid copper and exposed plumbing. While specific hardware details remain undisclosed, the system is intended to cool high-performance CPUs and GPUs, which typically generate significant heat and are challenging to cool quietly. Although the passive cooling approach offers substantial heat dissipation potential due to the radiator’s size
energycooling-systemPC-hardwarethermal-managementpassive-coolingcopper-heatsinkscast-iron-radiatorChina's new heat removal method makes nuclear reactor meltdown-proof
Chinese scientists from the China Institute of Atomic Energy have developed and successfully tested a new Residual Heat Removal (RHR) system designed to enhance the safety of next-generation nuclear reactors by preventing meltdowns. This passive heat removal technology is integrated into integral fast reactors (IFRs), which use liquid sodium as a coolant and operate with a fast neutron spectrum. The system maintains the reactor core in a safe, cool state without relying on active mechanical components, representing a significant safety breakthrough for fourth-generation nuclear plants featuring closed fuel cycles. Integral fast reactors recycle spent nuclear fuel on-site, converting unused uranium into plutonium and enabling up to 100 times more energy extraction compared to conventional water-cooled reactors. This closed-loop approach also reduces nuclear waste by approximately 90%, as continuous recycling minimizes long-lived radioactive materials. The new RHR system was validated through an experimental simulation facility that replicates reactor conditions, confirming its effectiveness in passive heat removal. China’s CFR-600 and the upcoming CFR-1000 fast
energynuclear-powerfast-reactorsheat-removalresidual-heat-removal-systemnuclear-fuel-recyclingpassive-coolingBreakthrough nuclear cooling system passes key test at Idaho lab
The MARVEL microreactor project at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has successfully completed a critical three-month testing campaign of its innovative cooling system using the Primary Coolant Apparatus Test (PCAT), a non-nuclear facility designed to simulate the reactor’s thermal behavior. MARVEL features a unique sodium-potassium coolant and a natural circulation passive cooling mechanism that allows the reactor to cool itself without pumps, relying on natural convection. The PCAT tests confirmed the viability of this cooling approach, demonstrating stable natural circulation flow capable of safely managing up to 100 kilowatts of thermal power, with expectations that the actual reactor will perform even better due to enhanced heat removal capacity. In addition to validating the cooling system, the PCAT campaign rigorously tested INL’s thermal-hydraulic design and safety analysis software, RELAP5-3D, with experimental data closely matching the software’s predictions, boosting confidence in operational and safety assessments. However, the tests revealed higher-than-anticipated heat losses in
energynuclear-reactorcooling-systemmicroreactorthermal-powerpassive-coolingIdaho-National-LaboratoryBiodegradable cooling film slashes energy use 20% without power
Scientists from Zhengzhou University and the University of South Australia have developed the world’s first biodegradable cooling film capable of passively reducing surface temperatures by up to 9.2°C without electricity. Made from polylactic acid (PLA), a plant-based biodegradable plastic, the film achieves this cooling by reflecting 98.7% of solar radiation and enabling internal heat to radiate directly into outer space. This passive cooling effect can reduce energy consumption for air conditioning by more than 20% in hot urban environments, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional, energy-intensive cooling systems. The metafilm features a porous, bi-continuous structure with ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.049 W/m·K) and high durability, maintaining performance even after exposure to harsh acid solutions and prolonged UV radiation. Its robustness is attributed to a 29.7% stereocomplex crystal content, which enhances thermal and chemical stability. Computer simulations indicate significant potential energy savings in cities like Lhasa, China, and the technology
energybiodegradable-materialscooling-filmpassive-coolingsustainable-technologypolylactic-acidthermal-conductivityPassive tech sets cooling record for overheating AI data centers
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have developed a groundbreaking passive cooling technology for data centers that sets a new record by handling over 800 watts per square centimeter of heat dissipation. This fiber-based cooling system uses a specially engineered membrane with interconnected pores that passively removes heat through evaporation, eliminating the need for energy-intensive fans, compressors, or pumps. Unlike traditional cooling methods, this approach leverages capillary action to wick liquid across the membrane surface, where evaporation naturally draws heat away from electronic chips, offering a quieter and more energy-efficient alternative. The innovation addresses longstanding challenges in adapting evaporative cooling to the extreme thermal loads of modern AI data centers, where conventional porous membranes either clogged or caused unstable boiling. By optimizing pore size and reinforcing the membrane mechanically, the UCSD team achieved stable, high-performance cooling over multiple hours. While the technology currently operates below its theoretical maximum, efforts are underway to integrate it into cold plates for direct processor cooling and to commercialize the solution through a startup
energycooling-technologydata-centerspassive-coolingfiber-membranethermal-managementenergy-efficiencyWorld's first net-zero energy mosque breaks ground in Abu Dhabi
energysolar-powersustainable-architecturenet-zero-energypassive-coolingeco-friendly-designrammed-earth-walls