Dried banana chips may soon have something in common with high-powered data centers: ionic wind.
It's part of research started at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, known as Empa, that resulted in spinoff company Ionic Wind Technologies. Now, the enterprise is poised to change the way we cool the growing amount of energy-hogging, hot-running data centers around the world — and dehydrate fruit, according to a news release.
Data centers already use about 4.4% of U.S. electricity. That percentage is expected to grow to up to 12% by 2028, according to the Department of Energy. The release added that 40% of the power is used to cool microprocessors.
Ionic's solution is noiseless, energy-efficient, easily integrated, and has no mechanical parts. Better yet, it doesn't require water, either, per the spinoff.
"We accelerate air directly by charging it electrically. Since the electric current is converted directly into an airflow, the energy-consuming and noisy intermediate steps via a motor, rotor, or fan blade are eliminated," founder Donato Rubinetti said.
It works by using electrostatic fields to convert electrical current into moving air. The concept has typically been hindered by low breeze speed. But Ionic's amplifier and unique shape have seemingly conquered the problem. It's a solution that could save 60% of the cooling energy used by traditional fans in data centers, Empa stated.
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The concept has already been used to dry fruit, as a photo shared by Empa shows produce slices drying on a rack. Ionic experts use what they call "needle electrodes" to help more than triple the airflow. The specially made needles work better than typically used wires. A hexagon-shaped housing that uses principles employed on airplane wings and certain fans leverages air pressure for maximum benefit, all per a video clip detailing the invention.
"These two innovations are a huge step forward and merge to form the so-called Ionic Wind Amplifier, which opens up completely new fields of application with significantly better performance," Rubinetti said.
By more efficiently cooling data centers, energy experts can reduce the amount of heat-trapping air pollution created during electricity production for the effort. Tech giants Microsoft, Google, and Meta are all part of projects that either better cool their energy-gobbling operations with cleaner tech or offset power draw with renewable investments.
It's more than needed, as the University of Tulsa reported that massive water use for cooling work accompanies data center air pollution output.
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And Goldman Sachs estimated that global data center electricity demand could increase by 165% by 2030, representing a huge potential planet-warming fume burden if cleaner power supplies, or more efficient operations, aren't secured.
It's a problem because Earth's overheating is linked by NASA to increased severe weather risks that endanger lives as well as property and are complicating insurance coverage and costs.
Fortunately, everyone who uses an outlet can help to make a difference. Simply switching off unused lights and unplugging idle chargers and devices can save you about $165 a year while reducing grid demand.
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The effort could soon be aided by Ionic Wind as the company works to commercialize its tech. Air purification and providing airflow are other possible applications, in addition to cooling tech and drying food, according to Ionic's website.
"I see the potential wherever air needs to be moved with a small pressure difference," Rubinetti said.
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