Cooling technology Technology

Two-phase immersion cooling

Servers sit in a sealed tank of fluid that boils on contact with the hot components. The vapor rises, cools, and drips back down.

immersionboilingdielectricsealed tank

Direct answer

What this record says

Two-phase immersion cooling is an emerging cooling architecture using a dielectric fluid chosen to boil at a low temperature. It is typically applied at Specialized high-density deployments; no common rating basis. Last reviewed Aug. 9, 2026 against 1 source.

1 sourceReviewed Aug. 9, 2026
Maturity
Emerging
Coolant
A dielectric fluid chosen to boil at a low temperature
Typical density
Specialized high-density deployments; no common rating basis
Suppliers tracked
0 suppliers
MaturityEmerging
Cooling mediumA dielectric fluid chosen to boil at a low temperature
Typical applicationSpecialized high-density deployments; no common rating basis

Architecture

How heat moves

Two-phase immersion places adapted electronics in a low-boiling dielectric fluid. The fluid boils on hot components, vapor rises to a water-cooled condenser, and liquid falls back into the sealed tank. This short heat path can handle concentrated heat with little bath pumping.

It also makes the tank, seals, condenser, and vapor inventory part of the cooling circuit. It fits specialized, dense fleets. A site needs facility water for the condenser, strong floors, fluid handling and recovery tools, vapor monitoring, lifting space, compatible power and network arrangements, and environmental and safety approval for the chosen fluid.

Opening the tank can release vapor and disturb its operating balance, so service procedures matter more than in single-phase baths. Ask which components and warranties are approved, how fluid loss is measured, and what happens when condenser water, power, or controls fail. Capacity claims should state bath pressure, fluid, condenser-water temperatures, hardware layout, and fault condition.

Procurement must check refrigerant availability, regulation, global-warming and ozone properties, decomposition products, end-of-life recovery, and trained local service. The Open Compute Project source describes the technology category, but this catalog has no linked supplier or product evidence; project-specific performance and maturity therefore require direct validation.

01Components
02boiling fluid
03condenser
04back into the tank

Why teams choose it

  • Moves heat off a hot surface faster than a liquid that stays liquid
  • Holds every submerged component at close to the same temperature
  • Needs less pumping than circulating a warm liquid

What to validate

  • Fluid cost, supply, and environmental treatment often decide the project
  • The tank has to contain vapor, which changes how it is built and opened
  • Fewer suppliers and less field experience than single-phase immersion

Connected records

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Evidence ledger

Sources and evidence

The links below show where the factual claims came from. Supplier specifications remain supplier-reported unless the record names independent operating evidence.

  1. 01
Record information
Record ID
DCC / TECH / TWO-PHASE-IM
Record reviewed
Aug. 9, 2026
Record first published
Aug. 9, 2026
External sources
1
Search visibility
Offered to search engines

Required field this record has not addressed yet:

  • Suppliers tracked

Decision support

Guides and comparisons mentioning Two-phase immersion cooling

Direct answers

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers drawn from the record, its comparison fields, and the evidence linked below.

What is Two-phase immersion cooling?

Two-phase immersion places adapted electronics in a low-boiling dielectric fluid. The fluid boils on hot components, vapor rises to a water-cooled condenser, and liquid falls back into the sealed tank. This short heat path can handle concentrated heat with little bath pumping. It also makes the tank, seals, condenser, and vapor inventory part of the cooling circuit. It fits specialized, dense fleets. A site needs facility water for the condenser, strong floors, fluid handling and recovery tools, vapor monitoring, lifting space, compatible power and network arrangements, and environmental and safety approval for the chosen fluid. Opening the tank can release vapor and disturb its operating balance, so service procedures matter more than in single-phase baths. Ask which components and warranties are approved, how fluid loss is measured, and what happens when condenser water, power, or controls fail. Capacity claims should state bath pressure, fluid, condenser-water temperatures, hardware layout, and fault condition. Procurement must check refrigerant availability, regulation, global-warming and ozone properties, decomposition products, end-of-life recovery, and trained local service. The Open Compute Project source describes the technology category, but this catalog has no linked supplier or product evidence; project-specific performance and maturity therefore require direct validation.

Where is Two-phase immersion cooling typically used?

Specialized high-density deployments; no common rating basis. We class the approach itself as emerging.

What are the main advantages of Two-phase immersion cooling?

Moves heat off a hot surface faster than a liquid that stays liquid. Holds every submerged component at close to the same temperature. Needs less pumping than circulating a warm liquid.