1. Overview

Liquid cooling and heating systems are thermal management solutions that use liquid media to transfer heat in electronic, industrial, and mechanical systems. These systems maintain optimal operating temperatures for components by absorbing, transporting, and dissipating heat (cooling) or providing controlled thermal energy (heating). Their importance has grown with increasing power densities in data centers, electric vehicles, and high-performance computing, where traditional air cooling reaches limitations.

2. Main Types and Functional Classification

3. Structure and Components

Typical systems include: - Heat exchangers (cold plates, radiators) - Circulation pumps for liquid movement - Fluid reservoirs with level/pressure monitoring - Thermal interface materials (TIMs) - Temperature sensors and control valves - Corrosion-resistant tubing with quick-disconnect fittings Modern designs often integrate smart controllers for dynamic performance adjustment.

4. Key Technical Specifications

5. Application Areas

Key industries include: - Data Centers: Liquid-cooled server racks - Automotive: EV battery thermal management - Industrial: Laser cutting machine cooling - Healthcare: MRI scanner temperature control - Renewables: Solar inverter cooling systems

6. Leading Manufacturers

7. Selection Recommendations

Key considerations: - Heat load profile and peak thermal requirements - Space constraints (footprint and height limitations) - Fluid compatibility with existing systems - Maintenance accessibility and service intervals - Energy efficiency (PUE for data centers) - Redundancy requirements for critical systems - Total cost of ownership (TCO) over 5-10 years

8. Industry Trends

Emerging developments include: - Adoption of two-phase immersion cooling in hyperscale data centers - Integration of AI-driven thermal optimization algorithms - Development of nanofluids for enhanced heat transfer - Standardization of liquid cooling interfaces (e.g., OCP standards) - Increased use in EV charging stations (350kW+ fast chargers) - Growth of liquid cooling in 5G base stations and edge computing