Chinese scientists have created a "shock freeze"—a method to cool AI servers in 20 seconds without refrigerant

China is developing a “shock freeze” – a new method for cooling data centers

1. Why it matters
- Energy imbalance: China produces almost twice as much electricity as the United States. This gives it an advantage in the AI race, but most of the generated power is used to cool server rooms.

- Potential resource shortage: Power is currently sufficient, but as data volumes grow cooling could become a bottleneck.

2. New idea from Chinese scientists
- Research institute: Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

- New mechanism: *Dissolution barocaloric effect* (shortened dissolution barocaloric effect).

- System based on ammonium thiocyanate solution (NH₄SCN):

- Under high pressure the salt precipitates and releases heat.
- Rapid pressure release causes instant dissolution of the salt, absorbing a large amount of heat from the liquid.

3. How the cooling cycle works
1. Heating under pressure – the solution heats up.
2. Heat removal – precipitation of the salt gives off heat to the surroundings.
3. Cooling on pressure drop – sudden rarefaction causes instant dissolution, absorbing heat.
4. Delivery of cold fluid – the cooled liquid is transported to server units.

- Speed and power: The liquid cycle is faster and more efficient than traditional solid-state barocaloric materials.
- Environmental friendliness: No fluorocarbon refrigerants – a clean alternative to compressor chillers.

5. Prospects and next steps
The technology is still at the laboratory stage, but its high speed, power, and lack of refrigerant make it promising for large-scale deployment.

- Research goals:
- Optimize operating pressures.
- Increase solution longevity (prevent crystallization).
- Integrate into real data‑center cooling systems and industrial installations.

If these challenges are overcome, “shock freeze” could significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from the refrigeration sector and support more sustainable development of high‑technology industries.