SBIR Phase I: Energy, space efficient, low-impedance server cooling architecture for data centers

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a compact, energy-efficient 1U server cooling solution that uses rotating heat sinks, or kinetic heat sinks (KHSs), to provide localized processor cooling while also generating the airflow required to cool peripheral server components. The cooling technology would eliminate all 40 mm case fans currently used in 1U servers and replace the high-impedance processor heat sinks with flow-generating KHSs. The proposed KHS solution has the following advantages over existing technologies: (1) lower flow impedance, since each KHS generates pressure instead of flow impedance; (2) lower power consumption, due to the larger flow-generating blades of KHSs compared to those found in 40 mm axial case fans, combined with the lower server flow impedance; and (3) smaller footprint, since the air mover and heat sink are combined into a single component. Phase I studies will involve component- and server-level computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental validation of both the current state-of-the-art cooling solution and the proposed KHS cooling solution. The goal is to demonstrate 50% reduction in footprint and power consumption compared to the state-of-the-art cooling solution. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project stems from the rising power density and overall power consumption in data centers. With the explosive growth of the ?cloud? there has been exponential growth in data centers, whose electricity consumption is the fastest growing electricity-consuming sector in the U.S. The miniaturization of components has resulted in more heat being generated per unit volume, while smaller product form factors provide less space for coolers to dissipate that heat. Kinetic cooling is an early-stage technology that has the potential to significantly reduce cooling power requirements while using a smaller footprint. There are no commercial KHS cooling solutions in the market presently; consequently, the proposed KHS solution would be the first system designed and sold in this category. The initial target markets for the proposed server cooling system will be brand and whitebox server vendors and system integrators. According to analyst reports, 7.6M server systems were brought online in 2010 and this figure is growing at a CAGR of 4.7%. The total market opportunity is approximately $400-$500M with the potential for providing a return on investment under 30 months.