Passive tech sets cooling record for overheating AI data centers

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have developed a groundbreaking passive cooling technology for data centers that sets a new record by handling over 800 watts per square centimeter of heat dissipation. This fiber-based cooling system uses a specially engineered membrane with interconnected pores that passively removes heat through evaporation, eliminating the need for energy-intensive fans, compressors, or pumps. Unlike traditional cooling methods, this approach leverages capillary action to wick liquid across the membrane surface, where evaporation naturally draws heat away from electronic chips, offering a quieter and more energy-efficient alternative. The innovation addresses longstanding challenges in adapting evaporative cooling to the extreme thermal loads of modern AI data centers, where conventional porous membranes either clogged or caused unstable boiling. By optimizing pore size and reinforcing the membrane mechanically, the UCSD team achieved stable, high-performance cooling over multiple hours. While the technology currently operates below its theoretical maximum, efforts are underway to integrate it into cold plates for direct processor cooling and to commercialize the solution through a startup