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Experimental Study on the Thermal Performance of Flat Loop Heat Pipe Applied in Data Center Cooling

Author

Listed:
  • Yongle Tang

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
    Guangdong Shenling Environmental System Co., Ltd., Foshan 528313, China)

  • Xuewei Zhang

    (Guangdong Shenling Environmental System Co., Ltd., Foshan 528313, China)

  • Zhichun Liu

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China)

Abstract

The cooling system is the auxiliary equipment that consumes the most energy in a data center, accounting for about 30 to 50% of the total energy consumption. In order to effectively reduce the energy consumption of a data center, it is very important to improve the heat exchange efficiency at the chip level. Compared with air cooling, single-phase cold plate liquid cooling, and immersion liquid cooling, the flat loop heat pipe (FLHP) is considered to be a better chip-level cooling solution for data centers. It has extremely high heat transfer efficiency and heat flux variability, and it can avoid the operation risk caused by liquid entering the server. In this paper, a FLHP with an evaporator designed with a “Tesla valve” flow channel configuration is developed. Experiments on the FLHP are carried out, focusing on the installation angles and cooling condition factors. The results show that an inclination angle of 20° is the critical point of the influence of gravity on the performance of the FLHP; to ensure good operation of the FLHP, the installation angle should be greater than 20°. The equivalent heat transfer coefficients of the FLHP condenser under different cooling conditions are calculated. It is found that water cooling can provide higher cooling heat transfer coefficients with lower energy consumption and operating noise. Additionally, the heat transfer limit, operating temperature uniformity, and start-up stability of the FLHP are significantly improved under water cooling conditions. The maximum heat load of the FLHP is up to 230 W, and the temperature difference of the evaporator surface can be controlled within 0.5 °C, under 20 °C water cooling. Finally, using the FLHP for thermal management of the chip, its heat transfer efficiency is 166 and 41% higher than that of air cooling and water cooling, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongle Tang & Xuewei Zhang & Zhichun Liu, 2023. "Experimental Study on the Thermal Performance of Flat Loop Heat Pipe Applied in Data Center Cooling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:12:p:4677-:d:1169716
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sohel Murshed, S.M. & Nieto de Castro, C.A., 2017. "A critical review of traditional and emerging techniques and fluids for electronics cooling," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 821-833.
    2. Tang, Heng & Tang, Yong & Wan, Zhenping & Li, Jie & Yuan, Wei & Lu, Longsheng & Li, Yong & Tang, Kairui, 2018. "Review of applications and developments of ultra-thin micro heat pipes for electronic cooling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 383-400.
    3. Zhou, Guohui & Li, Ji & Jia, Zizhou, 2019. "Power-saving exploration for high-end ultra-slim laptop computers with miniature loop heat pipe cooling module," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(C), pages 859-875.
    4. Habibi Khalaj, Ali & Halgamuge, Saman K., 2017. "A Review on efficient thermal management of air- and liquid-cooled data centers: From chip to the cooling system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 1165-1188.
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    1. Kangning Xiong & Yang Liu & Zhuoyu Li & Qingsong Pan, 2025. "Comparison Study of Novel Flat Evaporator Loop Heat Pipes with Different Types of Condensation Pipeline," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-27, August.
    2. Ma, Xiaochen & Shi, Wenchao & Yang, Hongxing, 2026. "Recent advances and optimization strategies in indirect evaporative cooling: Enhancing evaporation efficiency and heat-mass transfer," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 226(PE).
    3. Chen, Xinge & Hu, Chudong & Liang, Jun & Li, Jiangpeng & Lu, Lin & Wu, Yan & Zang, Jianbin, 2025. "Efficient two-phase liquid cooling and optimization technology on the chip side based on high-power data centers: Summary and prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).

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