Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Using Jet Engines to Cool Servers

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the yay-for-engineers dept.

rpmsci writes "The computer servers that fill huge data centers are producing more heat with every new generation of processors. It's a problem that's sending engineers on a search for cooling fans that are both small enough to fit inside ever-smaller server chassis and powerful enough to dispel increasing amounts of heat. At Hewlett-Packard, they've found one answer in an unexpected place: model jet airplanes."

3 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. Why bother? by RingDev · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Air is such a poor heat transfer medium. Why not build a rack with a water cooling system built in? I have an external water cooled solution on my home PC connected via a set of no-break quick release couplings. So any time I need to pull my PC apart I can pop the coolant lines with out losing a drop of coolant or introducing air into the system.

    I can't imaging running a fleet of model airplane engines is going to be quite, cheap, or all that reliable. Especially when compared to an rack integrated water cooling system.

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
  2. Not the same thing by linuxkrn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That asus is just a standard fan mounted in a case that looks like a jet engine, but it's the same technology.

    On the other hand, the HP one uses small blades that are shorter and that spin faster. As such they create more thrust/airflow and reduce noise that normal blades produce from the tips of their blades.

    RTFA, it's got a good discription, yeah, I know it's /. but sometimes it's worth reading.

  3. Melted plastic and metal everywhere by blueZ3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sheesh, Zonk -- could we at least take, say, three seconds to think before writing the article title. How about "Using jet engine technology..." instead of "Using jet engines..."

    Little clue: Jet exhaust is... well, let's just call it "a little warm for cooling a server" and leave it at that. The article title gave me this picture of a Rolls jet engine (http://www.rolls-royce.com/education/schools/how_ things_work/default.jsp) sucking JP4 and blowing 1000's of cubic feet per second of very hot air into the server room here at work.

    Oh the humanity!

    --
    Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com