Why use oil immersion cooling?
As technology becomes more powerful and data centers generate more thermal heat, the risk of damage increases. Discover how efficient cooling techniques mean more high-performance data computing can be set up in smaller spaces. Maybe you have heard of oil immersion cooling, so why use it? This article will give an answer to you.
Immersion cooling is a technique where computer components are submerged in a thermally conductive liquid coolant. Some people may be confused: Why is the oil used as a coolant having poor thermal conductivity? Various oils have varying degrees of cooling power (none as good as plain water), but they have other characteristics that make them more desirable in different situations:
Wider temperature range as a liquid
Water is famously known as a liquid between 0°C and 100°C, but if your operating temperatures fall beyond that range then you need a different coolant. Different oils remain a liquid up to temperatures that can exceed 200°C, while if the temperature cools below the “freezing” point of the oil, it simply solidifies into a fat/wax that won’t (usually) damage anything in the system.
Noncorrosive
Water is also known as “the universal solvent.” It aggressively attacks any metals that it comes in contact with, and under the right (wrong) conditions can dissolve plastic elements as well. Oil, on the other hand, is generally non-corrosive. In fact, oil/grease is commonly used to protect the metal from the corrosive effects of water.
Nonconductive
Pure water is almost famously nonconductive, but water is such an aggressive solute that pure water is almost impossible to maintain. Most oils are not electrically conductive, which makes them perfect for electronics that need immersive cooling. You can put a computer system in a fish tank filled with mineral oil to cool the silicon. But you can’t do that with water!
A well-known and noteworthy advantage of using immersion cooling is the high heat dissipation capacity which is roughly 1200 times greater than that of air. Other advantages of fluid immersion cooling include high rack density, better server performance, uniform temperature profile, and reduced noise.
In a mining farm, the mining machine chips are computing day and night, which requires a high heat dissipation capability in the mining site. If the chips’ temperature consistently exceeds 80 degrees, it will cause irreversible damage to the miners’ components, then the hash rate of the chips will drop and the lifespan of the miners will be shortened. Then, in the oil immersion cooling solution, the oil is used for its cooling purpose.
Miners have basic cooling measures, for instance, cooling fans, heat sinks, etc. But the fact is that most mining machines are kept running 24*7 hours a week. Then they are more prone to overheating during overload conditions, resulting in higher electrical losses and maintenance costs.
Except during maintenance and downtime, mining machines are overloaded. Tens of thousands of mining machines are working in one space at the same time, which leads to heat concentration, high noise and temperature increase. In some wet locations, they are more likely to be damaged.
Box Technology immersion cooling system possesses a powerful circulation system, efficient heat dissipation, intelligent data display, and secure circuit protection! For Boxtechy products, solutions, and inquiries, please feel free to contact us directly: info@boxtechy.com
