Critical Intersection: How Coolant Selection Impacts Design and Improves Performance in Chip Cooling

Papers & Publications

Critical Intersection: How Coolant Selection Impacts Design and Improves Performance in Chip Cooling

Diabatix

As processor power densities continue to rise across AI, HPC, and data center environments, thermal management is becoming a defining factor in system performance and efficiency. This white paper explores how coolant selection directly impacts both heat transfer performance and the optimal design of cooling hardware.

Using simulation-driven generative design, the study demonstrates how different coolant properties shape cold plate geometry and influence overall system performance. A comparative analysis shows that switching from a conventional propylene glycol-water mixture (PG25) to an advanced water-based coolant (AWC-1) can achieve up to a 20% reduction in thermal resistance under identical operating conditions.

The findings highlight coolant selection as a first-order design decision, offering a pathway to more efficient, high-performance, and sustainable cooling solutions.

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Learnings

Coolant selection is a primary design driver
It doesn’t just affect performance — it fundamentally shapes the optimal cooling geometry.
Fluid properties directly influence design outcomes
Thermal conductivity, viscosity, and specific heat capacity determine flow behavior, heat transfer, and resulting cold plate structures.
Switching coolant can unlock significant performance gains
Moving from PG25 to AWC-1 delivers ~20% lower thermal resistance under the same operating conditions.
Not all improvements come from fluid class alone
Comparisons with AWC-2 show that formulation details matter, not just whether a coolant is water-based or glycol-based.
Coupling coolant choice with generative design maximizes impact
Physics-driven optimisation allows engineers to fully exploit fluid properties, leading to more efficient and sustainable cooling systems.

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