July 22, 2011—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a new type of heat exchanger technology that can be used to maintain operating temperatures for chips in large-scale information technology (IT) systems such as data centers, where high-efficiency innovations can lead to considerable energy and cost savings.
This technology, developed by DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories, has been dubbed the “Sandia Cooler.” This new type of heat exchanger reportedly displaces the heat produced by a computer chip more efficiently than traditional systems by using an improved rotating structure. Because this smaller, quieter and more efficient heat exchanger cools the chips in energy-intensive IT systems, it has the potential to significantly reduce the energy requirements of IT systems, Sandia researchers say. An added benefit is that the performance doesn’t degrade over its lifespan like it can in current exchangers.
DOE identified heat exchangers as a crucial technology for research and development because they are used in many diverse applications. Heat exchangers are an essential component in equipment for homes and buildings such as heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting, refrigerators, personal computers, and many other appliances that generate heat as a by-product. With support from DOE, Sandia National Laboratories is developing similar heat exchanger designs to improve the performance of these everyday appliances. According to Sandia researchers, if the technology can be scaled up for wide use in appliances and other devices, it has the potential to reduce overall electric power consumption in the United States by more than seven percent.
