DLC (Direct Liquid to Chip Cooling)

Direct Liquid to Chip Cooling (DLC) is an advanced cooling technique used in data centers to manage the heat generated by high-performance computing tasks. Unlike traditional air cooling methods, which rely on fans and cool air circulation, DLC uses liquid coolant to directly absorb heat from processors (CPUs and GPUs). Liquids, due to their higher density and superior thermal conductivity compared to gases, provide more efficient heat exchange, making DLC ideal for high-density environments such as AI, HPC, and GPU-heavy data centers.

How DLC Works

In a DLC system, a liquid coolant is circulated through pipes that come into direct contact with heat sinks mounted on the chips. The liquid absorbs the heat and carries it away from the processors, where it is either cooled in heat exchangers or dissipated outside the data center. To prevent liquid from entering direct contact with sensitive electronic components, a closed-loop system is used, isolating the coolant from the chips. This ensures that the cooling process is safe and avoids the risk of damaging hardware through leaks or condensation.

Benefits

DLC systems can remove much more heat than traditional air cooling methods, allowing servers to operate at higher capacities without overheating. Additionally, the reduced need for air conditioning units decreases energy consumption and improves overall data center efficiency, often leading to a better Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).