# 3D-Printed Liquid Manifolds HRL Laboratories Unveiled Low-Chill Cooling Solution By Colin Smith | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-03-17 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lowchill-cooling References: [3dprint](https://3dprint.com/324293/with-arpa-e-backing-hrl-laboratories-advances-3d-printed-cooling-for-more-efficient-data-centers/)  HRL Laboratories introduced Low-Chill, a 3D-printed direct liquid cooling (DLC) system developed with ARPA-E funding to improve [data center thermal management](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/delta-electronics), featuring a printed manifold that routes coolant through hundreds of short flow paths. The system is single-phase, meaning it cools without vaporizing and recondensing the coolant, which simplifies infrastructure compared with two-phase approaches. HRL reported that Low-Chill boosted cooling capacity by about 40% at equivalent pumping power and that the design scales to [multi-chip modules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/computer-cooling-systems) and next-generation processors. Built to fit existing data center architectures, the solution targeted operational constraints and energy use, offering higher thermal density without wholesale facility redesign. For operators, Low-Chill promises lower energy demand and greater performance-per-watt, aligning with industry trends toward direct liquid cooling and tighter chip-level thermal control. Image Credit: HRL Laboratories ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.2/10 - Popularity: 57% | Activity: 62% | Freshness: 66% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Computers](https://www.trendhunter.com/computers) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **3d-printed Cooling Manifolds:** The use of additive manufacturing to produce complex coolant channels enables bespoke, high-density thermal pathways that can dramatically reduce pumping power for equivalent cooling. - **Single-phase Direct Liquid Cooling:** Cooling systems that avoid phase change simplify facility infrastructure and create opportunities for compact, reliable thermal management with predictable performance scaling. - **Chip-level Thermal Integration:** Embedding tailored cooling interfaces at the multi-chip and processor level supports much higher thermal density and tighter performance-per-watt optimization across heterogeneous computing stacks. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Data Center Infrastructure:** Operators stand to realize significant reductions in energy demand and floor-space constraints by adopting direct liquid cooling architectures compatible with existing deployments. - **Semiconductor Manufacturing:** Processor and module designers could leverage integrated liquid manifolds to push die power envelopes and package-level performance without extensive redesign of chips. - **High-performance Computing:** Supercomputing centers may achieve higher sustained compute density and lower cooling overhead through tailored single-phase liquid systems that match node-level thermal profiles. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Running Cooling Mist Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cooling-mist-1.md) - [Two-Phase Immersion Cooling Fluids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cooling-fluid.md) - [Accessible Atmospheric Water Dispensers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/water-from-air.md) - [AI-Focused Cooling Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coolant-distribution-unit.md) - [3D-Printed WCAC Coolers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/conflux-and-donkervoort.md) - [Ice-Loop Cooling Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/infinite-ice-machine.md) - [Underwater Concrete Printing Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/darpa-1.md) - [Adaptable 3D Printing Resins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3dprinting-resin.md) - [Custom Display Cooling Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holo-fan.md)