Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the rapid growth of global computing power demand driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance computing, leading to unprecedented cooling challenges for data centers. Liquid cooling technology is evolving from an optional solution to a necessary one due to its energy efficiency, low power consumption, and noise reduction advantages, especially in light of tightening national PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) requirements. The article outlines the evolution of liquid cooling technology, market landscape, and future trends, predicting that the global liquid cooling market will exceed 100 billion yuan by 2026, marking the beginning of a liquid cooling revolution driven by technology, policy, and industry collaboration [2]. Group 1: Liquid Cooling Technology - Liquid cooling technology is essential for addressing the cooling pressures of data centers. It utilizes liquid to dissipate heat from components, leveraging the high thermal conductivity and heat capacity of liquids compared to air, resulting in lower energy consumption, higher cooling efficiency, and reduced noise [6][13]. - The core advantages of liquid cooling include low energy consumption, high cooling capacity (4-9 times that of air cooling), low noise levels, and lower total cost of ownership (TCO), with PUE values potentially dropping below 1.2 [13][26]. - The rapid increase in chip power density necessitates the adoption of liquid cooling solutions, as traditional air cooling struggles to meet the demands of next-generation architectures like NVIDIA's Rubin, which anticipates power densities reaching up to 600 kW [14][18]. Group 2: Market Trends and Future Outlook - The liquid cooling market is expected to surpass 100 billion yuan by 2026, driven by technological advancements, policy support, and collaboration across the supply chain [2]. - The evolution of liquid cooling technology is characterized by the emergence of microchannel cold plates and phase change cooling plates, which enhance efficiency and customization [2][14]. - The article highlights the increasing importance of liquid cooling in meeting national PUE requirements, with policies pushing for lower PUE values, thereby promoting the adoption of energy-efficient technologies [22][25]. Group 3: Industry Applications and Solutions - Liquid cooling solutions are categorized into direct contact and indirect contact types, with single-phase immersion cooling being the primary development direction due to its high efficiency and energy savings [30][47]. - Single-phase cold plate cooling is expected to remain the mainstream solution for a considerable time due to its compatibility with existing infrastructure and lower retrofit costs [37]. - Immersion cooling offers high energy efficiency (PUE < 1.13) and supports high-density deployments, although it presents challenges in product design and maintenance [48][49].
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