Comprehensive assessment of coolants used single-phase immersion cooling data center

Currently, the single-phase immersion cooling (SPIC) data center has received much attentions due to its high cooling efficiency, capability for high-density deployment, and reduced maintenance costs. Central to the performance of SPIC system is the choice of coolant, yet a comprehensive assessment of various coolants is still lacking. This study addresses this gap by comparing the performance of six different coolants from thermal performance, energy efficiency, economic evaluation, environmental impact, and regional variations. The findings indicate that fluorocarbon coolants generally offer superior thermal performance. Specifically, the figure of merit (FOM) for SF10 is between 17.2 % and 50.6 % higher than other coolants at a coolant temperature of 40 °C. In contrast, hydrocarbon coolants excel in energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact. For instance, BINGYI 797 reduces energy consumption by 14–54 %, cuts coolant costs by 5.7–94.6 %, and decreases CO2 emissions by 13.9–97.4 % compared to other coolants. The study also notes regional variations in coolant performance. Depending on the coolant used, energy consumption can vary from 18.9 % to 57.3 %, power usage effectiveness (PUE) could range from 1.039 to 1.150, life cycle cost (LCC) could differ by 13.7–61.5 %, and CO2 emissions can fluctuate between 1.8 % and 81.5 %. Based on the evaluated six coolants, SF10 and BINGYI 797 are current the most promising candidates for fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon coolants, respectively.