Computer Cooling and Battery Thermal Management

Thermal management has an imperative role to play in the landscape of advancing modern technologies, from high-performance computing and data centers to advanced batteries in electric vehicles. IDTechEx's portfolio of Thermal Management Research Reports explores the latest developments in the technologies responsible for keeping operations running coolly.

 

 

Data centers are home to some of the most powerful computing systems, which require thermal management to operate efficiently and to the highest standard. Liquid cooling is one of the main approaches deployed in data centers, in particular direct-to-chip cooling where a cold plate is placed directly on top of a GPU, CPU, or main heat source. Direct-to-chip cooling can occur as either a single-phase method using water-glycol, or a two-phase method with refrigerants. Immersion cooling is another method which sees a whole server board immersed into a tank of fluid, and can also work as single or two-phase, depending on the need for cooling capacity. These approaches may replace more traditional air-cooling methods using fans that may not be sufficient for the increasing thermal power of computing components.

 

On a larger scale, rear door heat exchangers, computer room air conditioning, computer room air handlers, and sidecar heat exchangers, are all listed as methods for room and facility level cooling in IDTechEx's report, "Thermal Management For Data Centers 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets, and Opportunities".

 

 

At chip level, CPUs and GPUs are seeing greater power densities with the rise of AI demands, which in turn is creating a need for thermal management solutions. Thermal throttling, voltage droop, and accelerated electromigration are all at risk of occurring as a result of such rising power densities, which may result in issues with performance, system reliability, and lifespan. The heat being generated from these chips also requires increased energy to be dissipated. Dynamic voltage/frequency scaling, power gating, and advanced power delivery networks could provide solutions to these issues.

 

Microfluidic cooling is outlined in IDTechEx's report, "Thermal Management for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets, and Opportunities", as being one thermal management approach currently used at a small scale in some of the military applications.

 

Thermal interface materials are on the rise as being an integral part of thermal management for semiconductors, as they play the role of transferring heat from the source to a heatsink, and need to have low thermal resistance, especially with the move from 2.5D to 3D semiconductor packaging. The choice of materials in any given application will be determined by thermal conductivity, mechanical reliability, ease of testing, cost, contact quality, and the scope for high-volume manufacturing. IDTechEx's report, "Thermal Interface Materials 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets and Forecasts", covers the materials gaining the most popularity.

 

 

Electric vehicles continue to face risks of thermal runaway, largely as a result of individual cell or wiring harness faults. In the report, "Thermal Management for Electric Vehicles 2026-2036: Materials, Markets, and Technologies", IDTechEx outlines some of the main thermal management approaches for electric vehicle batteries, including the use of aerogels, mica, ceramics, and making the switch to solid-state electrolyte.

 

Aerogels, ceramics, and foams all boast low thermal conductivity and density, which allow them to prevent heat transfer between individual cells, and therefore stop propagation from occurring across an entire battery. While mica has a high density, it has strong electrical properties, and its ease of use and application in thin, low-cost sheets make it a popular choice.

 

Where battery chemistries are concerned, opting for solid-state electrolyte has the potential to bring about increased thermal stability, which flammable liquid electrolyte cannot provide as effectively. The thermal conductivity provided by solid-state electrolytes also creates a greater, safe operating temperature range. Some barriers to large scale adoption still remain, however, and they have been known to reach high temperatures in internal short circuits. IDTechEx's report provides benchmarking and details the benefits and drawbacks of multiple thermal management approaches for electric vehicle batteries.

 

For more information on thermal management technologies spanning across multiple sectors from data centers and computing to electric vehicle batteries, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Thermal Management Research Reports.