Miniature Valves for Efficient Direct-to-Chip Applications

Chip Cooling in Data Centers Miniature Valves for Efficient Direct-to-Chip Applications

2025-09-26 A guest contribution by Peter Becker* | Translated by AI 4 min Reading Time

Energy-hungry chips that generate a lot of waste heat are used for generative AI applications. Standard air cooling systems reach their limits here. Highly efficient liquid cooling systems can provide a solution.

Data centers used for generative AI applications rely on high-performance chips. The resulting waste heat must be efficiently dissipated.(Image: freely licensed / Pixabay) — Data centers used for generative AI applications rely on high-performance chips. The resulting waste heat must be efficiently dissipated.
(Image: freely licensed / Pixabay)

Generative AI applications demand significantly higher chip densities and computing power than before. This has a massive impact on power consumption and the resulting temperatures in these applications. According to a McKinsey study, AI data centers could account for 10% of global electricity demand by 2030, driven by increased demand and increasingly powerful chips that consume multiples more power.

One way to keep this cost and sustainability factor in check is through more efficient chip cooling systems. Cooling solutions consume up to 40% of the energy required to operate data centers. In countries with high electricity prices like Germany, this can result in very high overall operating costs.

Air Cooling Vs. Liquid Cooling

Air cooling systems are no longer an adequate solution for high-performance data centers. They result in enormous operating costs and fail to keep servers and chips within the temperature range necessary for optimal performance. If the chips overheat, performance drops first, and at critical temperatures, they shut down.

Given high-performance chips with power consumption of 1 kW or more, sophisticated liquid or hybrid cooling systems are necessary. One option is immersion cooling systems, where the computer is completely submerged in a cooling liquid. These systems provide excellent cooling performance. However, they are correspondingly expensive, both in terms of acquisition and especially in their complex maintenance, which drives up overall operating costs. A more economical and nearly equally powerful alternative is direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems. A welcome side effect of both solutions: liquid cooling systems operate (almost) noiselessly.

In direct-to-chip liquid cooling, coolant is routed directly through cooling plates attached to the chips, allowing heat to be dissipated directly at its source. By using this direct cooling approach, significantly more space-efficient systems with higher packing density can be created compared to air-cooled solutions. At the same time, potential hotspots caused by uneven air cooling are avoided.

Critical Fluid Control Components

For liquid-based systems, a reliable and intelligent fluid control solution is necessary.(Image: Lee) — For liquid-based systems, a reliable and intelligent fluid control solution is necessary.
(Image: Lee)

Reliable and intelligent fluid control solutions are necessary for liquid-based systems to operate efficiently and safely. Their key tasks include maintaining consistent pressure, protecting against contamination, and compensating for system malfunctions, such as extreme overpressure caused by a pump failure.

An example is the regulation of the coolant flow through the cooling plates. The pressure must be intelligently maintained at a constant level, considering the number of plates, over a series-connected path of several dozen or even hundreds of cooling nodes. To ensure constant pressure from the first to the last plate, pressure-compensated flow control valves are needed, which cover a wide low-pressure range and intelligently adapt to the requirements.

Check valves are also an integral part of direct-to-chip solutions. They prevent the backflow of coolant at pumps, heat exchangers, or cooling plates. They must not restrict flow or cause pressure drops in the process.

Safety filters are integrated into the coolant distribution units to protect the cooling components from contaminants. This unit is connected to all servers and cooling plates via metal or plastic pipes. The filter size requirements are determined by the components in the cooling circuit that are most sensitive to particles, such as quick couplings. The necessary filtration level should be individually assessed for each system. Maintaining system pressure also plays a crucial role here without compromising the filter function.

Overpressure valves protect servers and cooling systems from pump malfunctions. In the event of overpressure, they divert excess liquid. This process must be gentle and controlled to prevent contamination of the server's electronic components with liquid.

Reliability for Mission-Critical Systems

A manufacturer of high-quality and reliable fluid control components for these applications is The Lee Company. For over 75 years, the company has been producing miniature pumps, valves, screens, restrictors, and sealing elements for the most demanding applications. Lee's miniature components were used in the first moon landing, ensure efficiency and safe landings in aircraft, and support medical and laboratory technology in successfully healing people.

Lee has an extensive custom machinery fleet that enables the production of extremely small and lightweight components and the processing of the most demanding materials. In-house testing and inspection laboratories ensure compliance with stringent industry requirements and shorten time-to-market. Lee's experienced sales engineering team supports customers worldwide in successfully overcoming even the most challenging design obstacles. All Lee products undergo 100% functional testing before delivery.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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Progress in the Data Center Market

Jürgen Prochno, Managing Director of the German subsidiary Lee Hydraulische Miniaturkomponenten, highlights the significant trends in the data center sector: "The market is clearly moving towards higher performance and increased investments. Any operational disruption, whether caused by leaks or inefficient cooling systems, leads to significant costs for operators. Our products are specifically designed for applications where maximum reliability is essential. For example, failures in the fuel system of a launch vehicle cause immense costs. Similarly, defective braking systems in vehicles or landing systems in aircraft can be life-threatening. Our miniature components ensure that such failures are prevented. For manufacturers of liquid cooling systems in data centers, we are the ideal partner to guarantee maximum reliability, safety, and performance."

*Peter Becker, on behalf of Lee Hydraulische Miniaturkomponenten GmbH.