Immersion Cooling of Electronics in DoD Installations

This demonstration, which took place at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington D.C., consisted of a commercially available high-performance computer immersed in the 3M Novec 649 liquid. The immersion cooling system was tested at a high computer load. Cooling for the bath was provided by a dry cooler located outside an HPC center at NRL. Two-phase immersion cooling using Novec 649 is not viable at this time. The primary obstacles that need to be overcome are IT equipment failures and costs. However, the demonstrated technology met the performance objectives for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. Before commercialization of this technology can occur, a root cause analysis of the failures should be completed, and the design changes proven. Author(s): Coles, H.C. and M. Herrin