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Experimental study on jet-enhanced immersion liquid cooling for energy-efficient data centers

Author

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  • Huang, Yongping
  • Liu, Chendong
  • Zhong, Yangfan
  • Zhang, Chengbin

Abstract

Optimizing the thermal management efficiency in data centers is a critical technological pathway for achieving carbon neutrality goals. To address the multi-scale heat dissipation and high-flux thermal coupling challenges, this study innovatively proposes a novel immersion liquid cooling (ILC) technology based on localized jet impingement for targeted cooling enhancement. Through the establishment of a server-grade experimental platform, this study conducts a comparative investigation of the performance between traditional and novel ILC systems. Furthermore, systematic analyses are performed to evaluate the operational parameter effects on jet-enhanced systems along with jet structure optimization. The results demonstrate that the novel ILC system achieves superior performance compared to traditional ILC, achieving a 92.5% improvement in local Nusselt number, a 20 °C reduction in maximum temperature, and a 46.5% decrease in coolant temperature differential index while maintaining low power usage effectiveness (PUE≤1.09). The influence of the main-to-jet flow ratio, cooling water temperature, and chip power on jet-enhanced system performance fundamentally represents a trade-off mechanism between flow resistance reduction and heat convection enhancement. Moreover, jet structure optimization identifies 90° vertical jets with a 3 mm orifice diameter and a 17 mm distance as the optimal configuration, yielding a 64.3% enhancement in performance evaluation criterion (PEC = 2.46).

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Yongping & Liu, Chendong & Zhong, Yangfan & Zhang, Chengbin, 2025. "Experimental study on jet-enhanced immersion liquid cooling for energy-efficient data centers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:334:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225032268
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.137584
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhang, Chengbin & Wang, Huijuan & Huang, Yongping & Zhang, Liangliang & Chen, Yongping, 2025. "Immersion liquid cooling for electronics: Materials, systems, applications and prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
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