As AI workloads drive rack densities past 100 kW and chip power beyond 2,500 watts, the limits of traditional air and single-phase liquid cooling are being tested. In this episode of NextGenInfra, we speak with Richard Bonner of Accelsius, a startup developing a two-phase, direct-to-chip cooling system called NeuCool™.
Accelsius is currently piloting its solution at the Equinix Co-Innovation Facility (CIF) in Ashburn. While the technology shows promise—especially in improving thermal efficiency, reducing pumping energy, and supporting high-density GPUs—it remains in the trial phase and has yet to be adopted at scale.
Richard explains the physics behind two-phase cooling, compares it with conventional liquid systems, and outlines how their dielectric fluid allows for safer operation. He also discusses Accelsius’ involvement in the U.S. Department of Energy’s COOLERCHIPS program and what’s next for scaling the platform.
⏱️ Chapters / Key Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Why liquid cooling is back in the spotlight
00:24 – Accelsius’ NeuCool system at Equinix CIF
00:49 – Why air cooling no longer scales for AI compute
01:36 – What makes two-phase cooling different
02:52 – Boiling for better thermal uniformity and heat transfer
04:03 – Condensation and fluid recovery process
04:50 – Energy savings through higher inlet water temps and free cooling
06:25 – About the refrigerant-based fluid and operational safety
07:34 – Maintenance without HVAC-certified staff
08:20 – Adapting to diverse data center environments in trial deployments
09:16 – Participation in ARPA-E’s COOLERCHIPS initiative
10:53 – Meeting Equinix and joining its innovation program
11:26 – Product roadmap: Scaling to megawatt-class CDUs
12:38 – Toward next-gen data center rack architecture
13:25 – Wrap-up and outlook
📎 Additional Resources
• Accelsius Website
• Equinix Co-Innovation Facility
• ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS Program
🎯 Topics:
#DataCenterCooling #LiquidCooling #AIInfrastructure #COOLERCHIPS #Equinix #TwoPhaseCooling #NeuCool #NextGenInfra
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