Cooling Data Centers By Water Evaporation

Google uses fans to blow warm air over water in its data centers for cooling. This takes advantage of water's high heat capacity which makes it far more efficient than standard air conditioning. These researchers have designed membranes that maximize the efficiency of cooling via evaporation. The membranes are positioned right over the circuits and pull water in via capillary action. The membranes have successfully handled up to 800 watts of heat per square centimeter. The obvious unanswered questions include production cost, ease of integrating into servers, and the material's life span. 

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-evaporative-cooling-tech-curb-centers.html

Image of a water permeated membrance used for cooling


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