A FORWARD-thinking firm has produced a new computer which is kept cool by being completely immersed in liquid. The server’s temperature is controlled by the revolutionary fluid — called 3M TM Novec TM — which does not damage electronics.
A mobile phone could be dropped in a tub of the coolant and still work perfectly because it does not conduct electricity.
So while computers use air to cool their parts, all of the components in the new server — developed in Rotherham — are completely covered in the liquid.
The technology could slash the carbon footprint of the internet and become a watershed moment for the global IT industry.
Peter Hopton, chief technology officer at Iceotope, said: “While a few years away, there is no reason why every home shouldn’t make better use of the surplus heat from consumer electronics. Imagine having your PC or TV plumbed into the central heating system.”
Chief executive Neil Bennett said: “IT has been the poster child of the new economy but its environmental impact has frequently been unaddressed. Given the increasing scarcity of
resources such as energy and clean water, we are delivering computing with a conscience.”
The power-sapping fans of traditional computers are replaced by a silent next-generation liquid-cooling process.
Designers at Iceotope, based at the Catcliffe’s Advanced Manufacturing Park, reckon the server can cut energy consumption by between 80 and 97 per cent.
More than five years of research have gone into the technology. The coolant can even be drawn from rain or riverwater — further reducing the environmental impact.
The server also does away with the need for ancillary facilities in data centres like computer room air conditioning, humidity control systems and air purification.
A company spokesman added: “While the information industry enjoys an image of environmental friendliness, all internet use relies on remote servers. These are usually housed in large data centres that must be constantly cooled to remain operational. The reality is that the mobile apps, networked devices and 24-hour internet access on which we have come to rely are energy hungry.”
AMP marketing manager Simon Spode said: “This technology really has the capability of being a gamechanger for the world’s IT industry in the same way that stainless steel did for manufacturing 100 years ago.”
Iceotope worked with staff at the University of Leeds. Research lead Dr Jon Summers said: “The liquid we are using is extraordinary stuff.”
Report by Gareth Dennison, Rotherham Advertiser
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