The data center is crowded with intensive servers running resource intensive processes, facing significant challenges related to heat. Overheating can limit server performance to prevent hardware damage, resulting in efficiency losses, while prolonged overheating can accelerate wear and tear, increase hardware failures, and increase the risk of costly downtime. These issues highlight the urgent need for advanced thermal management solutions to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and sustainability of high-performance data centers. In this article, let’s learn how to transform thermal management using advanced data center TIM solutions.
Traditional solutions such as phase change films will deteriorate after repeated insertion and removal, such as the solution required for pluggable optical modules (POM). This degradation not only reduces thermal performance, but may also introduce volatile compounds into the data center environment, thereby damaging sensitive electronic components.
In addition, these traditional methods often cannot handle the increased power density of newer transceiver designs, and the power density of each module may exceed 20W or even 35W. Due to each line card having up to 32 modules, accumulating thermal load becomes a key challenge. These inefficiencies can lead to overheating, increased energy consumption, and increased cooling costs, ultimately affecting the performance and sustainability of data centers.
Given these realities, a top switch manufacturer is seeking a new innovative thermal control solution to reduce the operating temperature of its 20W transceiver application.
Why effective thermal conductive material (TIM) solutions are crucial for data centers
TIM plays a crucial role in bridging the small air gap between heating components and cooling solutions such as radiators or heat diffusers. If there is no effective TIM, these air gaps will become thermal barriers, reducing heat transfer efficiency and leading to various problems. The TIM solution for data centers ensures the following advantages:
Avoiding performance degradation: Overheating can cause the processor and other components to limit their performance to prevent overheating, resulting in reduced computational efficiency.
Extend hardware lifespan: Effective heat dissipation can reduce thermal stress, prevent wear and significantly extend the lifespan of expensive hardware.
Improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs: By optimizing heat transfer, TIM can make cooling systems operate more efficiently, thereby reducing energy consumption. This can not only reduce the operating costs of large data centers, but also minimize the impact on the environment, thereby supporting sustainable development goals.
Related article: Why do we need thermal management?
Application of ELAPLUS Thermal Solution in Data Centers
Thermal conductive silicone grease
Thermal conductive silicone grease
Thermal grease, also known as thermal paste, is used to fill the gaps between CPU/GPU and its heat sink. Its main function is to ensure smooth heat transfer by eliminating air gaps (poor conductors of heat). Thermal conductive silicone grease remains stable over a wide temperature range (-40 ° C to+200 ° C), with high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and resistance to environmental pressure.
Thermal conductive gel
Thermal conductive gel
Thermal conductive gel is a high viscosity thermal conductive material, which is composed of thermal conductive powder and silica gel. These materials are produced under vacuum conditions, without air, ensuring excellent heat transfer performance. Some single component liquid gel have process flexibility, low component stress and thermal conductivity up to 6.0 W/mK. Their distributability makes them suitable for mass production, with low volatility, gap stability, and reliability under challenging conditions.
Thermal pad
Thermal pad
Pre formed thermal pads are an easy to apply solution that is highly suitable for large-scale production environments. These pads have low modulus and high conductivity, making them suitable for integrated circuits (ICs) that do not require large heat sink attachments. Their adhesion ensures low stress thermal performance while simplifying the application process.
Thermal Conductive Adhesive (TCA)
Thermal conductive adhesive
Thermal conductive adhesive is mainly used for filling and bonding gaps between high-performance chips, high-power transistors, thermistors, temperature sensors, and high-power electrical modules such as power supplies and heat sinks (copper, aluminum). The advantage is that it can eliminate traditional card and screw connection methods while bringing more reliable filling and heat dissipation, simpler processes, and more economical costs.
Choose the appropriate TIM solution for the data center
Choosing the appropriate TIM for a data center depends on factors such as thermal conductivity requirements, application methods, and compatibility with other materials. The main considerations include:
Thermal conductivity: measured in W/mK (watts per meter Kelvin), the higher the thermal conductivity value, the better the heat transfer ability.
Usage: The convenience and repeatability of use will affect maintenance plans and overall efficiency. Preformed pads or distributable gel are preferred because of their simplicity and adaptability.
Durability: The material should be able to withstand operating pressures, including high temperatures and mechanical compression.
Environmental Compliance: Environmentally friendly and RoHS compliant materials contribute to sustainable operations.
The selection of suitable thermal interface materials depends on the specific requirements of the application and the environmental conditions of the data center. Each material has its own advantages and is suitable for different needs in manufacturing and use processes. With years of experience in industrial materials, Yilian is always ready to assist customers in selecting suitable thermal interface materials and provide integrated solutions for production lines to optimize manufacturing efficiency. Please contact us for free consultation.
Tags: Thermal Conductive Materials · Thermal Interface Materials · Data Center Heat Dissipation · ELAPLUS
