Mouser Electronics White Papers
Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1538288
Mouser Electronics White Paper is its ability to be scaled or reconfigured to respond to changing demands. The infrastructure that supports immersion cooling is difficult to retrofit, so it is better suited for greenfield installations or dedicated AI elements within a larger conventional data center. An alternative, cold plate cooling, is well-suited for scalable installations. This technique, also known as direct-to-chip cooling, places thermally conductive plates directly onto the heat-producing component. Coolant is then circulated through channels inside the plate to draw heat away from the component's surface. Cold plate cooling offers several advantages for operators. It can be easily retrofitted to existing equipment and is self-contained, allowing users to introduce the technology as required. This technique also works well alongside conventional air-cooling systems, making it an attractive solution for phased introduction. New Challenges for Connectors Liquid cooling places new requirements on connector design, combining the easy operation of electrical connectors with the reliability required of liquid transfer. Unlike conventional connectors, these components need to withstand hydraulic pressure and resist corrosion. They must also be compact to meet data centers' ever-increasing density requirements. The Amphenol LTW SnapQD Liquid Cooling connector series is specifically engineered for cold plate cooling. The series features quick-disconnect couplings to support the flexibility required by data center operators, while delivering robust sealing and low fluid resistance. The connectors' small size helps minimize their impact when retrofitting these systems into existing installations. Moreover, they are certified to OCP standards, making them an ideal solution for integration into next-generation racks that require both liquid and electrical connectivity in dense configurations. Conclusion As AI workloads become more demanding, data centers must deliver more speed, power, and thermal efficiency without wasting energy or space. These demands make connector choice a critical detail. The right connector reduces losses and supports scalability across data, power, and thermal systems. Amphenol designs connector solutions that meet the demands of high-speed, high-power, and thermally intensive AI workloads, supporting scalable, efficient data center infrastructure. The company has created families of products that exceed expected standards, providing solutions for the latest AI applications. Sources 1. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable- inclusive-growth/charts/data-center-demands 2. https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/hyperscalers/hyperscalers- will-command-60-of-global-data-center-capacity-by-2030-report 3. https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-xai- data-center-colossus-power-memphis-2025-4 4. https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/6b2fd954-2017-408e-bf08- 952fdd62118a/Electricity2024-Analysisandforecastto2026.pdf 5. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-dcmec/ datacentresmeteredelectricityconsumption2022/ 6. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2024/01/24/data-centres- to-consume-one-third-of-states-electricity-by-2026/ 7. https://www.iea-4e.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Data- Centre-Energy-Use-Critical-Review-of-Models-and-Results.pdf