Immersion Cooling Applications and Waste Heat Recovery

We imagine a world full of energy that is lost every second without being noticed. However, this energy can only be regained with a few right systems. Especially heat… Especially that invisible but precious energy that comes out of data centers, is created during crypto mining or is lost in industrial facilities.

At this point, waste heat recovery with immersion cooling systems comes to the fore. Because not only are the systems cooled; energy is also recovered. So how does this happen?

Waste Heat Recovery in Data Centers

Data centers are the backbone of today's digital world. However, they also produce significant heat while operating. It has been discovered that this heat can be used not only for removal from the environment, but also for other purposes.

Thanks to immersion cooling technologies, servers are placed in special liquids. These liquids absorb heat much more efficiently than air. Then, as these liquids heat up… yes, at that moment, the beginning of something else begins.

The heated liquid can be transferred as energy to another system with the help of a heat exchanger. Thus, the cooling process is not only a task but also a resource. With this technology, offices, factories and even houses can be heated.

But is this work limited to data centers?

Generating Energy from Heat in Crypto Mining

When it comes to crypto mining, the first thing that comes to mind is high electricity consumption. However, it also creates a very high amount of waste heat. This heat is often thrown out of the systems without being noticed. However, it is possible to convert this waste heat into energy.

How?

Devices working with immersion-cooled crypto mining systems are cooled in a liquid environment, unlike traditional fan cooling. In this way, less energy is consumed and the heat generated can be collected directly through the liquid. This collected heat is then directed to an energy conversion system and contributes to electricity production.

In this way, mining is made more efficient and energy is saved. So should this idea be limited to crypto?

Heat Recycling in Industrial Facilities

In large industrial facilities, machines, furnaces, and boilers are operated continuously. The high temperatures generated by most of these systems are usually released into the atmosphere without being used. However, this situation has begun to be accepted as a habit of the past.

With new approaches, immersion cooling systems are being integrated into industrial devices. The devices are surrounded by liquid coolants, which quickly collect the heat from the devices. This heat is then directed to a different line.

Sometimes this line is used to heat another part of the facility. Sometimes it is transferred to steam turbines to generate electricity. In other words, the heat from a factory's furnace can now heat the factory's offices. This is seen as a revolution.

What about homes? Can these systems also touch daily life?

Integration into Residential Heating Systems

It is thought that waste heat can be used not only in large industrial facilities but also in homes. This is especially possible in buildings with data centers or small server rooms near city centers.

The energy collected with the help of heat exchangers can be transferred to central heating systems. This directly reduces individual heating costs. Moreover, there is no need to spend any extra energy for this system to operate.

Energy is taken while it is already formed. So where else might such heat be needed?

Waste Heat Use in Greenhouses

Temperature balance in greenhouses is vital for the healthy growth of crops. However, maintaining this temperature, especially in cold climates, requires significant energy consumption.

This is where the collaboration between data centers and greenhouses draws attention.

With server systems positioned right next to a greenhouse, the continuously produced heat can be transferred into the greenhouse. In this way, both the greenhouse is heated and the heat loss to the outside environment is reduced.

Moreover, with this method, tomatoes, lettuce, and even strawberries can be grown not only with the sun but also with the heat of the servers. This may sound like science fiction, but there are many examples where it has been implemented. And not just in greenhouses…

Support for District Heating Systems

From a broader perspective, it can be seen that waste heat contributes to the heating of not only individual homes but also entire neighborhoods or even districts.

District heating systems work with hot water distributed from a central location. If a facility in this center has immersion-cooled servers, this heat can be transferred to the regional line. As a result, apartments can be heated with the energy from the data center.

In other words, technology is beginning to increase the comfort not only of the digital world but also of the real world.