With the rise of AI, traditional air-cooling methods to prevent equipment malfunction, long the de-facto industry standard, are becoming increasingly inefficient and unsustainable to manage the enormous amounts of heat generated by servers. This challenge has led to the rise of immersion cooling as a superior alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem with air cooling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nConventional air cooling relies on large fans and air conditioning systems to manage server heat. This approach is not only energy-intensive but also environmentally detrimental due to its reliance on refrigerants with high global warming potential. As server densities continue to increase, air cooling struggles to keep up, prompting a shift toward liquid cooling methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Graph](\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/02\/ABI3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSource: ABI Research<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe rise of liquid cooling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLiquid cooling offers a more efficient and sustainable alternative. Unlike air, liquid can carry much more heat, allowing for smaller volume flows and less energy consumption. Liquid cooling systems also provide more stable temperatures, which is beneficial for equipment reliability. Moreover, the heat absorbed by the liquid can potentially be reused for other purposes, such as local heating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immersion cooling: a game-changer for data centers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOne of the most favorable forms of liquid cooling is immersion cooling. Data center equipment is submerged in a dielectric fluid \u2013 a liquid that does not conduct electricity. This fluid absorbs the heat generated by the equipment and is then pumped out, cooled, and recirculated. Immersion cooling can be either single-phase, where the liquid remains in a liquid state, or two-phase, where the liquid boils and then condenses. While two-phase cooling can offer higher heat transfer efficiency, single-phase cooling provides a more reliable, cost-effective, and easier-to-implement solution for many data center applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three main types of dielectric fluids for single-phase immersion cooling: fluorocarbons, hydrocarbons, and plant-based oils, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fluorocarbons have a high global warming potential and are not biodegradable, raising environmental concerns. Hydrocarbons, made from fossil oil or natural gas, offer higher thermal conductivity and are biodegradable, but are more viscous. Plant-based oils, the most environmentally friendly option, have zero global warming potential, are made from renewable materials, and are non-toxic and biodegradable, making them ideal for sustainable data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n“Deploying immersion cooling technology is the best and fastest way for data centres to increase capacity, use less power and water, and reduce costs. The process involves cooling IT equipment (up to entire servers) in thermally conductive and dielectric liquid. It\u2019s a cut above other liquid cooling solutions like direct-to-chip<\/a> because it captures all heat across all components (including increasingly hot DIMMs and GPUs). Plus, it\u2019s easier to then reuse the captured heat. And it\u2019s more environmentally friendly and cost-effective than throwing millions of gallons of water at the problem<\/a>..” <\/p>\nSource: Submer.com<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimizing data center cooling with Simcenter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nImmersion cooling presents a promising future but selecting the right dielectric fluid and optimizing system design are critical challenges\u2014challenges best addressed through advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. CFD enables engineers to optimize cooling strategies, assess fluid dynamics behavior, improve overall performance, and ensure long-term reliability in data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSource: ABI Research<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Liquid cooling offers a more efficient and sustainable alternative. Unlike air, liquid can carry much more heat, allowing for smaller volume flows and less energy consumption. Liquid cooling systems also provide more stable temperatures, which is beneficial for equipment reliability. Moreover, the heat absorbed by the liquid can potentially be reused for other purposes, such as local heating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most favorable forms of liquid cooling is immersion cooling. Data center equipment is submerged in a dielectric fluid \u2013 a liquid that does not conduct electricity. This fluid absorbs the heat generated by the equipment and is then pumped out, cooled, and recirculated. Immersion cooling can be either single-phase, where the liquid remains in a liquid state, or two-phase, where the liquid boils and then condenses. While two-phase cooling can offer higher heat transfer efficiency, single-phase cooling provides a more reliable, cost-effective, and easier-to-implement solution for many data center applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three main types of dielectric fluids for single-phase immersion cooling: fluorocarbons, hydrocarbons, and plant-based oils, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fluorocarbons have a high global warming potential and are not biodegradable, raising environmental concerns. Hydrocarbons, made from fossil oil or natural gas, offer higher thermal conductivity and are biodegradable, but are more viscous. Plant-based oils, the most environmentally friendly option, have zero global warming potential, are made from renewable materials, and are non-toxic and biodegradable, making them ideal for sustainable data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Deploying immersion cooling technology is the best and fastest way for data centres to increase capacity, use less power and water, and reduce costs. The process involves cooling IT equipment (up to entire servers) in thermally conductive and dielectric liquid. It\u2019s a cut above other liquid cooling solutions like direct-to-chip<\/a> because it captures all heat across all components (including increasingly hot DIMMs and GPUs). Plus, it\u2019s easier to then reuse the captured heat. And it\u2019s more environmentally friendly and cost-effective than throwing millions of gallons of water at the problem<\/a>..” <\/p>\nSource: Submer.com<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Immersion cooling presents a promising future but selecting the right dielectric fluid and optimizing system design are critical challenges\u2014challenges best addressed through advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. CFD enables engineers to optimize cooling strategies, assess fluid dynamics behavior, improve overall performance, and ensure long-term reliability in data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe rise of liquid cooling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Immersion cooling: a game-changer for data centers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Optimizing data center cooling with Simcenter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n