Ecolab is exploring two-phase and laser cooling, while focusing on scaling direct-to-chip systems

Christopher Beck said Ecolab is assessing which cooling technologies may be needed as computing capacity grows. The company is considering two-phase cooling, in which liquid evaporates near the GPU, as well as laser systems to remove heat from server racks. These are future directions, not capabilities Beck said are already deployed.

For the coming years, the company plans to scale direct-to-chip cooling. Beck also described a research challenge: moving the coolant composition closer to water, which he said provides 17% more cooling power than the mixture currently used but can cause fouling, scaling, and corrosion. The goal is to find a way to get close to a coolant that is 99% water without those problems. Beck added that Ecolab also works on water needs in chip manufacturing and electricity generation; he said electricity generation is the second-largest water user in the United States after agriculture.