Immersion Cooling and the Future of AI Data Center Infrastructure

Written By Kaitlyn Futch

As AI and high-performance computing drive increases in data center power density, cooling has become a defining constraint for infrastructure design. Immersion cooling is emerging as a critical solution, but it is only one part of a broader shift in how next-generation AI data centers are built.

This FAQ explores what immersion cooling is, how it differs from other liquid cooling approaches, where Infinium Edge fits within existing and new facilities, and how advanced cooling fluids can help address performance, energy, water, and carbon challenges at scale.

 

What is immersion cooling, and how is it different from liquid cooling?

Immersion cooling is a data center cooling approach in which IT equipment is fully submerged in a specialized, non-conductive (dielectric) fluid that removes heat directly from compute and system components such as CPUs, GPUs, memory modules, power delivery components, storage devices, and other heat-generating electronics.

This differs from other forms of liquid cooling, often referred to as direct-to-chip cooling, where water or other coolants circulate through pipes, cold plates, or heat exchangers attached to select components, while the remaining server hardware continues to rely on air cooling.

By contrast, immersion cooling systems support higher power densities and less complex operations, making them increasingly critical for next-generation AI data center design.

What are the advantages of immersion cooling compared to other cooling options?

Immersion cooling offers a fundamentally different approach to thermal management by submerging IT equipment directly in a dielectric fluid engineered for efficient heat transfer and material compatibility.

Compared to traditional air cooling and other liquid-based approaches, immersion cooling can provide:

  • Support for substantially higher power densities, enabling next-generation AI and GPU workloads

  • Up to 50% lower cooling energy use compared to conventional air-cooled systems

  • Low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), often below 1.05, compared to ~1.5 for typical air-cooled facilities

  • Simplified cooling infrastructure, with fewer mechanical components and reduced thermal bottlenecks

  • Improved hardware performance and reliability through stable, uniform operating temperatures

By removing heat directly at the source, immersion cooling improves efficiency while reducing the operational complexity of current liquid cooling solutions.

Who is Infinium Edge for, where does it fit in existing facilities, and what stage of deployment does it support?

Infinium Edge™ is designed for data center operators, hyperscalers, colocation providers, and enterprises running high-density workloads such as AI and high-performance computing (HPC).

The platform supports deployment across new builds and existing data centers. Its modular AI factory configurations combine immersion cooling and power into a scalable platform optimized for rapid deployment and future growth.

What are the ideal settings for Infinium Edge solutions?

Infinium Edge is ideally suited for:

  • High-density AI and HPC environments

  • GPU-intensive workloads that exceed the practical limits of air or direct-to-chip cooling

  • Data centers facing power, space, or water constraints

  • Operators seeking to future-proof facilities for rapidly evolving compute demands

Infinium Edge immersion solutions enable closed-loop, zero-water cooling operations, making them especially valuable in regions where water availability is limited or community concerns around water use are high.

Is Infinium Edge sustainable or carbon-neutral? How does it address water and carbon concerns?

Infinium Edge is designed to help data centers reduce environmental impact while meeting growing compute demand.

Key sustainability benefits include:

  • Zero fresh water use in closed-loop operations, eliminating reliance on evaporative cooling systems

  • Reduced energy consumption compared to traditional air-cooled data centers

  • Advanced and carbon-negative dielectric immersion fluids engineered for performance and durability

Importantly, when Infinium Edge immersion fluids are produced from Infinium’s eFuels facilities, its fluids are carbon-negative products. In these cases, the production process utilizes waste CO₂ as a feedstock for the fluid production, helping reduce the overall lifecycle carbon footprint of data centers.

Together, reduced water use, lower energy demand, and carbon-negative fluid production can help data center operators address sustainability goals, regulatory requirements, and public concerns related to data center growth.

Kaitlyn Futch