Intel and Shell have certified a lubricant-based immersion cooling method for servers. The method is intended for AI data centers equipped with Intel Xeon Emerald Rapid or Sapphire Rapid processors.
Traditionally, giant fans are used to reduce temperatures in AI data centers, consuming a significant amount of electricity, comparable to the energy consumption of the servers themselves. Intel and Shell expect that the new technology will significantly reduce energy consumption.
“Upgrading existing cooling methods with immersion fluids can reduce data center energy consumption by up to 48% and help reduce capital and operating costs by up to 33%,” said Jason Wong, vice president of Shell Lubricants.
Intel and Shell have tested the technology on Supermicro and Submer hardware, and it is now ready for deployment. As part of the certification process, Intel is offering an additional warranty for the use of Xeon processors with single-phase immersion cooling. In addition, a future partnership is being considered to certify the company’s latest generations of processors with Shell fluids.