{"slug": "single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense", "title": "Single-Phase Direct Liquid Cooling Is Proven for the Next Decade of Ultra-Dense Compute", "summary": "A white paper presented by IEEE Spectrum and Wiley and sponsored by CoolIT Systems argues that single-phase direct liquid cooling can handle AI and high-performance computing thermal loads for the next decade, as modern AI accelerators dissipate well over 1,000 watts and a single rack may release more than 100 kilowatts of heat. The paper explains that single-phase direct liquid cooling circulates water or a water-glycol coolant through coldplates mounted directly on high-heat components, carrying heat away in a closed loop to a coolant distribution unit, and compares the approach with two-phase and immersion cooling. It also covers thermal throttling, why air cooling reaches its practical limit at high rack densities, and expected growth in processor power and rack density.", "body_md": "## Download this complimentary White Paper today!\n\nThis White Paper provides a comprehensive overview of how single-phase direct liquid cooling manages the rising thermal demands of AI and high-performance computing, and how it compares with two-phase and immersion approaches.\n\n**What you will learn about:**\n\n- Why rising compute density has made heat the central design constraint in AI and high-performance computing, where individual processors now exceed 1,000 watts and racks dissipate more than 100 kilowatts.\n- How semiconductors respond to excess heat through thermal throttling, and why maintaining thermal margin supports higher performance and longer hardware life.\n- Why air cooling reaches its practical limit at high rack densities, and how liquid absorbs and carries away far more heat in a closed loop.\n- How single-phase direct liquid cooling works at the chip and system levels, and how it compares with two-phase and immersion cooling.\n- How processor power and rack density are expected to grow, and what these trends mean for the future of thermal design.\n\n## Click ‘LOOK INSIDE’ to download the PDF now.\n\n[LOOK INSIDE](#)\n\n# *Presented by IEEE Spectrum* and Wiley, sponsored by CoolIT Systems\n\n## More Information\n\nAs computing systems move toward denser processors, tightly coupled server nodes, and higher-power racks, managing the heat they generate has become a defining challenge in data center design. Modern AI accelerators can dissipate well over 1,000 watts, and a single rack may release more than 100 kilowatts of heat. This is far beyond what air cooling can practically remove. Single-phase direct liquid cooling addresses this by circulating water or a water-glycol coolant through coldplates mounted directly on high-heat components. The coolant absorbs the heat and carries it away in a closed loop to a coolant distribution unit. Because liquid stores far more heat than air and removes it much faster, this approach supports higher chip and rack densities within a smaller footprint. This paper explains how single-phase direct liquid cooling works, how it compares with two-phase and immersion cooling, and how rising processor power and rack density are shaping the future of thermal", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense", "canonical_source": "https://content.knowledgehub.wiley.com/single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense-compute/", "published_at": "2026-09-16 13:24:18+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-17 10:23:38.460930+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["IEEE Spectrum", "Wiley", "CoolIT Systems"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/single-phase-direct-liquid-cooling-is-proven-for-the-next-decade-of-ultra-dense.jsonld"}}