Let's Boil a Computer Again!

The rapid growth in smartphone usage has led to a surge in demand for cloud services. Major data centers, which store information for cloud service providers, have replaced traditional local computer storage with large data storage facilities. These facilities require a huge amount of energy to power and drinkable water is used to keep them cool.

To address these issues, the team designed hardware and software to cool the computer servers using FC-72 Fluorinert as an alternative to current swamp cooling forced air systems. Flourinert was selected for its low boiling point of 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit. They also designed a custom filtration system to reduce and mitigate dendritic salt growth, which can lead to electrical shorting. This system eliminates vulcanizers and plasticizers that cause the damaging growth.

The team built a test system for data center applications, which required finding a suitable pump that handles the low boiling point and low viscosity of Fluorinert. Finally, they created an interactive graphical user interface to allow technicians to monitor cooling system efficiency. The team then measured progress toward the goal of reducing power and water consumption.