it can take a lot more heat away when we let the liquid boil than if the liquid is flowing through…without changing phase. Just like when you’re sweating, our bodies can efficiently remove heat with a little bit of water by using evaporation. It’s the exact same concept. We’re trying to use a smaller amount of fluid to remove a lot of heat by using evaporation.
The boiling behavior also improves the cooling efficiency, allowing us to cool even the most intense heat sources with outside air exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Phase change also allows us to cool 2,000 watts (or more) per server.
X: Are you seeing traction in the market?
TS: We are still very early stage, with our first prototype approaching one year of operation and our data center prototype approaching six months. We are in discussions with a number of primarily enterprise-level data center operators, as well as the development arms of a couple of larger corporations. We don’t have the liberty to discuss specific names at this time, however. We are intentionally focused on the Midwest for the initial installations, but we are having discussions with organizations across the nation in anticipation of a rapid expansion once others realize the benefits Ebullient can provide.
X: Are you concerned it will be difficult to compete with larger liquid-cooling companies who have a head start in the market?
TS: The market I think is very large. The product space is very young. There are very few actual installs. The rate of installs is going fast. I look at it as a positive, to be honest. The more liquid cooling people at the moment, the better. They’re kind of preparing people for our technology.
X: What is Ebullient’s biggest challenge right now?
TS: Our biggest challenge right now I think is just perception. This is a very conservative industry. They’ve been doing air cooling for decades, and the tendency is to just stay with what you know. When people think liquid, they think water. They have to get over the fear of, “well this liquid will damage my computers.” Well, no, it won’t.
We just need to build trust. We’re looking to get those early adopters who are in a position where they just really need to look at a new technology because they’re at a limit of power distribution or air conditioning or both. We can provide some good solutions at a good competitive cost.
