advanced thermal solutions, inc. released an outline of developments in the server, data center, and cloud computing industries for cooling at the macro level and at the device level. from cooling aisles and cabinets to racks, cards, and components, the two-part series detailed a number of solutions that have been used throughout the industry, including liquid cooling and convection cooling options.
ats released a two-part series on cooling servers and data centers. (wikimedia commons)
the article noted, “at the macro level these methods include cabinet positioning, ventilation fans, blanking panels to maximize cold air flow, portable air conditioning units, and skirts and barriers to direct cold air. at the micro level, liquid cooling integrated with heat sinks and spreaders provide effective chip level cooling.”
as an example of possible solutions being used in the industry, the article highlighted air conditioners and other hvac options that pump cool air into a data center. from there, the article turned to the rack and component level and the variety of fans, liquid cooling loops, and new technologies being used in servers.
“many server processors require active heat sinks – where flowing air or liquid enhances the sink’s cooling performance,” the article continued. “a common example is incorporating a small fan within a sink’s cooling fins. as an example, a pcie carrier card, found in some server schemes, has a cutout opening directly under the warmest components.
"this allows the use of a fan-equipped heat sink that removes heat effectively from those components on the inside surface of an attached xmc module. the embedded fan forces air across the fins for active cooling.”
to read part 1 of the series, click https://www.qats.com/cms/2016/07/21/thermal-solutions-servers. part 2 of the series can be found at https://www.qats.com/cms/2016/07/22/thermal-solutions-servers-part-2.
this series of articles was also featured in qpedia thermal emagazine, a coolingzone media sponsor.
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