Data center cooling companies Accelsius and OptiCool are partnering for waterless liquid cooling systems.

Accelsius provides the NeuCool two-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems, while OptiCool is a provider of refrigerant-based, close-coupled heat extraction solutions.

The companies this week announced a “strategic partnership” to accelerate the creation of waterless, direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems. The companies said they will work together to create a “comprehensive cooling system that can be adapted to meet customer needs” and enable heat transfer without resource consumption or potential risk of water damage.

The new offering is described as a two-phase, direct-to-chip cooling system with active rear door heat extraction.

Water has historically been used in single-phase liquid cooling, but Accelsius and OptiCool said they have seen a “significant increase” in interest around cooling infrastructure requiring no facility water in the primary cooling loop.

Accelsius’ NeuCool platform is a two-phase, direct-to-chip liquid cooling system that utilizes a dielectric refrigerant. NeuCool’s primary loop can leverage facility water to the rack, the paired OptiCool and Accelsius system is designed to keep water external to the white space, even when using facility water for external heat rejection.

“We’re lucky to work with a company like OptiCool and leverage our respective innovations to create a true best-in-class, waterless system for our customers,” said Josh Claman, CEO of Accelsius. “Our combined strengths, including technical expertise and service, will fully meet the rapidly expanding need for a solution like this.”

John Fitzpatrick, OptiCool’s CEO, added: "This collaboration is crucial for the data center industry as it addresses the growing demand for efficient and sustainable cooling solutions. By combining our expertise, we can deliver a comprehensive cooling system that meets the evolving needs of the industry.”

Texas-based Accelsius was founded in 2022 by Innventure LLC. The company is commercializing technology developed by Nokia's Bell Labs.

New York-based OptiCool’s systems use R134a, a non-toxic synthetic refrigerant. Its offerings include rear-door heat exchange and hot aisle cooling systems.