Text | Zhang Bingbing
Editor | A Zhi
36Kr realized that Zhongke Qiancheng (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongke Qiancheng”) not too long ago introduced the completion of tens of tens of millions of yuan in angel – spherical financing. The investor is Zhongke Chuangxing. The funds will likely be primarily used for product enchancment and technological R & D.
Founded in March 2024, “Zhongke Qiancheng” focuses on the part – change liquid cooling know-how, which is reworked from the scientific and technological achievements of the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It focuses on the fields of knowledge facilities and energy grid transmission and distribution, offering part – change liquid cooling merchandise and options for digital data gear and electrical gear. Currently, it has cooperated with energy corporations such because the State Grid and is working with main enterprises within the business to promote the appliance of its merchandise within the discipline of AI clever computing facilities.
Academician Gu Guobiao is the pioneer of room – temperature part – change cooling know-how. He has lengthy been engaged within the analysis and industrialization of the room – temperature self – circulation system for big – scale motor evaporation cooling. His staff has presided over and took part in lots of nationwide key R & D tasks. Rao Yaqing, the founder of “Zhongke Qiancheng”, has held administration positions in massive enterprises akin to Citect and General Electric, with expertise in market enlargement and industrial implementation.
I. From the Three Gorges Project to AI Intelligent Computing Centers: A Safer and More Efficient Cooling Solution
When gadgets akin to transformers and digital gear are in operation, they generate a big quantity of warmth. If the warmth can’t be successfully dissipated, the excessive temperature will have an effect on the efficiency, reliability, and lifespan of the gear. Common warmth – dissipation options embrace liquid cooling and air cooling. These applied sciences use the stream of liquid or air to carry away warmth.
“Zhongke Qiancheng” makes use of part – change liquid cooling know-how, which makes use of the “phase – change” course of of a liquid absorbing warmth and turning right into a fuel. Liquids with low boiling factors, akin to fluorinated liquids, are used as cooling brokers (i.e., coolants). The coolant is exactly delivered to the floor of the heating ingredient. When heated, the coolant rapidly reaches its boiling level and turns right into a fuel, absorbing a big quantity of warmth and decreasing the temperature of the load.
“Latent heat of vaporization” is a vital indicator for measuring the warmth – dissipation capability of part – change liquid cooling brokers. The latent warmth of vaporization of skilled cooling brokers is normally between 100 – 200 kJ/kg. For instance, if a chip has an influence consumption of 300W, the warmth generated in a single hour is 1080 kJ. Using a coolant with a latent warmth of vaporization of 150 kJ/kg, theoretically, solely 7.2 kg of the liquid wants to evaporate per hour to carry away all the warmth. Under the identical energy consumption, the water – cooling answer requires water with a ten – diploma temperature distinction, and 25.8 kg of water wants to flow into per hour.
In addition to the warmth – dissipation impact, one other main breakthrough of the part – change liquid cooling know-how is the self – circulation of the cooling system, which is achieved by using the part – change traits. After the cooling agent absorbs warmth and vaporizes, it robotically overflows upwards. When it meets the condenser on the prime, it cools down and turns again right into a liquid, then robotically flows again to the neighborhood of the heating ingredient. Professor Xiong Bin from the Chinese Academy of Sciences summarized: “The entire system can achieve automatic circulation without a pump. The system becomes simpler. The simpler the system, the higher the reliability. This is our most fundamental principle advantage.”
Moreover, the cooling agent of the part – change liquid cooling know-how has excessive insulation properties. Even if it leaks and comes into direct contact with gear akin to circuit boards, it won’t trigger issues akin to quick – circuits. It won’t trigger secondary injury to the gadgets, offering higher safety for operation and upkeep.
Pump – free self – circulation chilly – plate part – change liquid cooling cupboard of “Zhongke Qiancheng”
Professor Xiong launched that the part – change liquid cooling know-how was initially proposed by Academician Gu in 1958 to resolve the cooling downside of turbines within the Three Gorges Project. After the verification of the precept, small – scale unit verification, and gradual utility in hundred – megawatt items by the older technology of scientists, the part – change liquid cooling know-how was lastly utilized to Units 27 and 28 of the Three Gorges Project in 2011 and received the Special Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.
“While achieving efficient heat dissipation, the phase – change liquid cooling technology also needs to have better operation and maintenance characteristics to ensure the safety of the equipment. Only then can it reach the highest level of cooling solutions.” Professor Xiong concluded.
II. Targeting the Power Grid and Intelligent Computing Centers to Explore the Trillion – Level Market
Thanks to its technological benefits, the appliance of the part – change liquid cooling know-how has been additional prolonged from hydro – turbines to fields akin to the ability grid and clever computing facilities. In 2007, the primary – technology evaporation – cooled distribution transformer developed by the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was put into operation in Langfang, Hebei, and received the “Science and Technology Progress Award of Jibei Power Grid”. The chilly – plate pump – free self – circulation part – change liquid cooling system utilized to excessive – density servers was put into operation in November 2019 within the Large High – Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) mission. The measured Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of the server cupboard was 1.03.
“The data center of the LHAASO observation base is currently the most difficult computing center in China. The air is very thin, and most importantly, it is unattended because of the high altitude. Almost no one goes up there. Therefore, only our self – circulation technology solution can demonstrate its unparalleled advantages.” Rao Yaqing, the founder of “Zhongke Qiancheng”, stated. “Both the transformer and computing power markets are trillion – level markets. They are mature and can play a demonstration role. These are the key areas we will expand in the future.”
Unattended computing heart at an altitude of 4410m
In the transformer discipline, “Zhongke Qiancheng” cooperates with massive transformer producers such because the State Grid by know-how open – supply. It gives core elements akin to cooling brokers and warmth exchangers. By optimizing the transformer construction and decreasing the quantity of cooling agent used, it improves the fee – efficiency of the merchandise and collectively develops merchandise with market competitiveness. Currently, the merchandise of “Zhongke Qiancheng” have obtained the fabric quantity from the State Grid. In November, the third – technology new evaporation – cooled transformer was launched. Next yr, it goals to begin small – scale utility in some provinces and actively take part in mission bidding throughout the nation.
In the computing energy discipline, “Zhongke Qiancheng” has signed a strategic cooperation settlement with a number one enterprise to develop extremely – excessive – energy gear, resolve the present product bottleneck issues, and promote the appliance of the part – change liquid cooling know-how within the computing energy market. It is anticipated to full the development of two demonstration cupboards, together with one in a knowledge heart in Zhejiang, by the tip of January subsequent yr.
In phrases of future planning, backed by the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, “Zhongke Qiancheng” will consolidate its technological benefits in each “depth” and “breadth”. “Depth” means additional enhancing R & D capabilities by making use of for brand spanking new patents based mostly on the core know-how. For instance, within the computing energy discipline, it can enhance the cupboard energy from tons of of kilowatts to megawatts. “Breadth” means increasing the scope of know-how utility, extending the patented know-how to fields akin to power storage and ships.
In phrases of the market, “Zhongke Qiancheng” will additional increase its state – owned and central – enterprise prospects. It is anticipated to obtain tens of tens of millions of yuan in income subsequent yr and attain a gross sales scale of one billion yuan in three years. Supported by its technological system and market quantity, it can increase its manufacturing facility.
Investor’s Viewpoint:
Zhongke Chuangxing: Currently, AI is accelerating its popularization, and the world has entered an period of fast enlargement of computing energy. With the massive – scale commercialization of excessive – energy – consumption chips, the ability consumption of a single GPU has exceeded 1kW, and the higher restrict of the cupboard energy will exceed 1MW. This signifies that warmth dissipation and power effectivity will grow to be one of the important thing elements figuring out the event of AI. The new part – change liquid cooling know-how of Zhongke Qiancheng has excessive warmth – dissipation capability, low working prices, and excessive working reliability, successfully assembly the core necessities of clever computing facilities for cooling methods. We look ahead to Zhongke Qiancheng utilizing thermal administration know-how to contribute to additional breakthroughs in AI.
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This article is from the WeChat official account “36Kr Future Industries”. The authors are Zhang Bingbing and A Zhi. It is revealed by 36Kr with authorization.