Thermal Management & Liquid Cooling

Centre of Excellence. NOVTRIQ’s core technical differentiator—thermal engineering mastery enabling PUE < 1.1 across data centres, HPC, BESS, edge computing, and industrial applications. Direct-to-Chip, Immersion Cooling, Rear Door Heat Exchangers, and Waste Heat Recovery.
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Thermal Management Philosophy

Thermal Efficiency Drives Total Cost Ownership

Reducing PUE from 1.8 (typical air-cooled) to < 1.1 (liquid-cooled, optimised) reduces annual cooling energy by 70%+. Over 10-year facility lifespan, energy savings compound to £5–15 million for 10 MW facilities.

Waste Heat Is Resource, Not Liability

Surplus thermal energy recovered from computing, storage, or industrial processes is redirected to facility heating, domestic hot water, or district heating networks. Waste heat recovery reduces auxiliary heating demand by 15–55%.

Thermal Stability Enables Performance

GPU clusters experiencing ±10°C temperature swings degrade performance and shorten hardware lifespan. Liquid cooling delivering ±1–2°C stability improves compute throughput by 5–10% and extends hardware life by 2–3 years.

Integrated Design Optimises Outcomes

Thermal systems cannot be designed in isolation. NOVTRIQ integrates all disciplines from initial planning, ensuring thermal design informs power architecture, infrastructure footprint, and capex efficiency.

Core Thermal Technologies

1. Direct-to-Chip (DTC) Cooling

GPU-intensive computing • Data centres • HPC research • Edge deployments

Liquid collets mounted directly on GPU dies, eliminating thermal interface materials and intermediate cooling stages. Heat transfer coefficient of 10,000–20,000 W/m²·K versus 100–500 W/m²·K for air cooling. Junction temperature reduced to 45–55°C with ±1°C precision through PID controllers and chiller management.

PUE Target1.0–1.05
Density Increase5–10x vs air-cooled
Energy Savings60–70% over 10 years
Thermal Stability±1°C across workloads

2. Rear Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx)

Telecom shelters • Edge computing • Distributed data centres • Retrofit projects

Passive or active heat exchanger installed in server rack rear door, capturing hot exhaust air and exchanging heat with facility coolant loop. Captures 40–60% of total thermal load with minimal pressure drop. Ideal for retrofit projects where full liquid cooling infrastructure is not feasible.

PUE Target1.3–1.4
Heat Capture40–60% of load
Chiller Reduction40–60%
ROI Period3–5 years

3. Single-Phase Immersion Cooling

Edge data centres • Small HPC clusters • Telecom processing • BESS

Server components submerged in dielectric cooling fluid (perfluorocarbon or synthetic hydrocarbons). Heat transfer coefficient of 1,000–5,000 W/m²·K. Fluid circulates through facility chiller and returns to immersion tank. Non-conductive, non-flammable options available.

PUE Target1.15–1.25
Density Increase2–3x vs air-cooled
Energy Savings45–60% over 10 years
Thermal Stability±2–3°C fluid temp

4. Two-Phase Immersion Cooling

Ultra-dense computing • Large data centres (50+ MW) • HPC clusters • Industrial cooling

Components submerged in dielectric fluid with boiling point 45–60°C. Heat boils fluid; vapour rises to condenser coil, releasing latent heat; condensed liquid returns via gravity. Highest heat transfer coefficient among liquid cooling technologies: 10,000–50,000 W/m²·K. Enables 5–6x compute density increase.

PUE Target< 1.0 with WHR
Density Increase5–6x vs air-cooled
Energy Savings70%+ over 10 years
Water Reduction80%+ vs evaporative

Waste Heat Recovery & Integration

Modern infrastructure generates substantial surplus thermal energy. NOVTRIQ designs waste heat recovery systems that transform this liability into a resource, supporting decarbonisation targets and reducing operational costs.

Facility Space Heating

Recovered heat preheats supply air for building HVAC or supplies radiant heating panels. Typical savings: 20–40% heating energy reduction in temperate climates (UK, northern EU).

Domestic Hot Water

Heat exchangers supply 40–50°C water for occupant facilities. Combined with facility heating, DHW applications capture 30–50% of recovered thermal energy.

District Heating Networks

Surplus heat exported to adjacent buildings or district heating schemes. Regulated in UK via District Heating Policy Framework; EU-wide support through EPBD 2021/1952.

Process Integration

Recovered heat integrated with industrial processes (steam generation, preheating input materials). Sector-specific; typical savings 15–30% process energy.

Typical Recovery Outcomes

Facility heating reduction: 20–55%. Carbon footprint reduction: 15–30% facility-level. Heat rejection to environment reduced by 50–80%. Payback period: 3–5 years through energy savings; improved to 2–3 years with carbon credit monetisation.

PUE Targeting & Energy Performance

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) = Total Facility Power / IT Equipment Power. NOVTRIQ targets PUE < 1.1 for liquid-cooled deployments, reflecting industry-leading energy efficiency.

Cooling TechnologyTypical PUE Range
Air-cooled baseline1.6–2.0
Optimised air cooling1.3–1.5
Liquid cooling (RDHx retrofit)1.2–1.4
Single-phase immersion1.15–1.25
Two-phase immersion1.0–1.15
Two-phase + waste heat recovery< 1.0

Designs comply with UK Building Regulations Part L, EU EPBD 2021/1952 NZEB standards, and ASHRAE 90.1 energy performance targets.

Applications Across Sectors

  • Data Centres — Liquid cooling with PUE < 1.1 enables 30–50 MW facilities in footprints previously limited to 5–10 MW. Energy cost savings of £5–15 million over 10-year lifespan.
  • HPC Research — GPU cluster density increases of 5–10x. Thermal stability (±1–2°C) supporting AI inference accuracy. Waste heat recovery into campus district heating.
  • BESS Facilities — Lifespan extension from 10 to 15 years through thermal stability (±5°C). Round-trip efficiency improvement of 3–5%.
  • 5G/6G Edge Computing — Modular edge deployments in constrained spaces. PUE reduction from 1.6–1.8 to 1.2–1.4 with retrofit installation.
  • Industrial & Manufacturing — EV battery manufacturing thermal stability ±2°C. Waste heat recovery reducing facility heating by 40–55%.

Ready to Optimise Your Thermal Infrastructure?

Whether you need direct-to-chip cooling for GPU clusters, immersion cooling for edge deployments, or waste heat recovery for industrial facilities—NOVTRIQ delivers thermal engineering mastery across all sectors and both UK and EU jurisdictions.

DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT
Contact our thermal engineering team at [email protected]