Scientists in Leeds are testing a new 'wet computer' which uses a specially engineered liquid to cool that components, rather than traditional fans which use much more energy.
A world-first is being tested in our region that could change forever how computers are built.
Scientists in Rotherham have built a new computer server that's filled with liquid to cool it rather than large fans.
It is much quieter as well as being much greener. James Webster reports.
The liquid being used to cool a new computer server, developed in Rotherham and being tested in Leeds, is extraordinary stuff, according to scientists. The fluid doesn't conduct electricity which is why components like circuit boards survive being immersed in it. A mobile phone would still work:
The scientist from Leeds University who is testing a new liquid cooled computer server says the system has huge potential. Dr Jon Summers from the School of Mechanical Engineering has been telling our reporter James Webser why the new system makes more sense than using air as a coolant.
The scientists who are testing a new liquid cooled computer system in Leeds think it has the potential to save large amounts of energy and prevent heat being unnecessarily wasted. Large fans to cool the world's data centres could become a thing of the past. Here are some facts and figures:
– Dr Jon Summers, University of Leeds.The liquid we are using is extraordinary stuff. You could throw your mobile phone in a tub of it and the phone's electronics would work perfectly. But the important thing for the future of computing and the internet is that it is more than 1000 times more effective at carrying heat than air. The cooling of servers is traditionally done using fans and air conditioning units, but air is a great insulator. We use it in double glazing. Why would you use it to cool a server?
Scientists in Leeds have helped to develop the new computer server unit, cooled by specially engineered fluid, which is the first of its kind in the world. Liquid has been used to keep electronic components cool before, but this is the first time a completely enclosed system has been developed.
A new 'wet computer' is being tested by scientists at Leeds University. The system, designed and built by Iceotope in Rotherham, uses a specially engineered fluid to keep the electronics inside the computer server cool, rather than fans which are both noisy and costly to run.
Scientists hope the new system could slash the carbon footprint of internet data centres by dramatically reducing the amount of electricity they need to use. The system's designers estimate that power consumption for cooling could be cut by between 80% and 97%.