Thermal management strategies are the underdogs of modern technologies, reducing the risks of overheating in cases where exponentially increasing demand for power can lead to component temperatures rising. IDTechEx's portfolio of Thermal Management Research Reports and Subscriptions explores thermal management developments across major sectors including data centers and electric vehicles.
Keeping data centers cool
Data centers are now significant contributors to power demand globally, with demand expected to keep rising in line with increasing high-performance computing, large language models, and AI use. In 2025, the total power for data centers stood at around 80GW, with this figure expected to surpass 250GW by 2035. The growth of hyperscalers such as Microsoft and AWS are expected to drive this rapid increase of power demand, alongside the increasing thermal design powers of GPUs and CPUs and overall computing capacities.
IDTechEx's report, "Thermal Management for Data Centers 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets, and Opportunities", identifies multiple cooling approaches for data centers, categorized by air cooling, liquid cooling, and immersion cooling. Active air cooling can be done with a rear door heat exchanger, which takes heat carried away from the heat source using the convection of cold air, while liquid cooling takes a more immediate and direct approach. Direct-to-chip cooling or cold plate cooling is one liquid cooling method and can either be done in single-phase or two-phase. Immersion cooling, which sees an entire server placed within a tank of liquid for immediate effect, can also be done in single-phase or two-phase.
Fire protection for electric vehicle batteries
Electric vehicle batteries, despite being one of the main contributors to reduced reliance on fossil fuels within the transportation sector, have been known to cause fires as a result of thermal runaway. The electric vehicle industry as a whole sees multiple battery chemistries used, depending on vehicle type and requirements for size, energy density, and charge times, though Li-ion batteries are widely discussed within IDTechEx's report, "Fire Protection Materials for EV Batteries 2027-2037: Markets, Trends, and Forecasts", as being the dominant type.
Opting for solid-state electrolyte in the place of more flammable liquid electrolyte is one approach to reducing fire hazards and improving a battery's thermal stability. Solid-state batteries have a wider operation temperature range and can lead to less heat generation in the event of external heating failure, according to IDTechEx. Alongside this, their heat dissipation is notably better than with liquid electrolyte batteries, meaning hot spots are less likely to form. There are still dangers of using solid-state electrolyte batteries, such as harmful gases that can be created though reactions with moisture, though they still provide improved overall safety. However, solid state batteries are a less mature technology and do not have the same market capacity as Li-ion batteries.
Na-ion batteries are also explored within IDTechEx's report as being a safer alternative to Li-ion. They are able to be stored at 0V without performance impact, and at 0% state of charge, heat generation is lower. Additionally, Na-ion batteries would see thermal runaway at higher temperatures than in Li-ion batteries, as well as a slower impact.
Fire protection in the form of regulations is also covered by IDTechEx, as the report provides research on different regions worldwide. In Europe, a 5-minute warning is required to make passengers aware of a thermal event that has started before it is visible outside the batter pack, while in China, the requirement is that the battery should not catch fire or explode for 2 hours after thermal runaway, highlighting a more advanced approach to safety.
For more information on thermal management across data centers and electric vehicles, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Thermal Management Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest developments.
