Main menu

nTop

Above and beyond traditional structures for liquid cooling

Written by Arian Aghababaie

Published on August 10, 2020

In the next 10 years, data centers are projected to consume 8% of the global supply of energy with half of that being used by the cooling system alone. Read below to see how Holo's PureForm™ technology and nTop Platform can help mitigate the cooling problem to reduce energy used, enhance the cooling systems, and increase processor performance.

With chip powers for PCs and data centers doubling every 2-3 years, the need for high performance cooling has become urgent. The problem is compounded by the fact that existing manufacturing approaches not only constrain the design space, but have reached their capability limits or won’t be able to keep up with the rise in processor powers.

Increase in chip power over time vs capabilities of cooling technologies.

To make matters worse, over the next 10 years, data centers are projected to consume a staggering 8% of the global supply of electricity, with almost of half being utilized by the cooling system alone. An enhanced cooling approach could therefore not only increase the performance of processors, but also increase the efficiency of the overall cooling systems in data centers, reducing operating cost and ultimately energy consumption.

Electricity demand forecast to 2030 for information and communications technology. Source

In this webinar, we will discuss how Holo is tackling the thermal management problem by leveraging the design freedom made possible by additive manufacturing. Guided by fundamental physical relationships we will walk through how design for additive allows us to produce structures that can’t be made any other way and:

  • Maximize heat transfer coefficient by controlling the boundary layer thickness,
  • Maximize volumetric surface area, and;
  • Route fluid in a targeted fashion to minimize the temperature rise between the heated body and coolant fluid

Enabled by nTop’s design software and the rapid iteration cycles and capabilities of Holo’s PureForm™ technology we will also walk through a real example of how a 3D printed, pure copper, liquid cold plate can triple the operating power of a high-end PC chip, demonstrating that design freedom, creates value.

Increase in operating power for an Intel i9-9900K enabled by a Holo PureForm™ liquid coldplate.

Arian Aghababaie

Arian Aghababaie is the cofounder, president, and chief strategy officer at Holo, where he leads product, marketing, and strategy. With over 8 years in the additive manufacturing industry, he has an extensive background in leading teams to develop and bring to market new 3D printing technologies. At Holo, he sets the vision for applying the company’s metal additive manufacturing technology to production applications, creating value through the design freedom that 3D printing enables. Prior to Holo, Arian built and led the team at Autodesk that successfully developed and launched the Ember 3D printer - the first open-source stereolithography platform. He previously cofounded The Invention Works, which developed low-cost, high-resolution stereolithography technology and was acquired by Autodesk. Arian received his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering and his PhD in rocket nozzle fluid dynamics from the University of Bristol.

Related content