Shell is turning down the heat and turning up the performance in data centers with the launch of Shell DLC Fluid S3 — a cutting-edge Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) solution designed to meet the demands of high-performance computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This propylene glycol-based fluid complements Shell’s existing immersion cooling fluid portfolio, offering excellent heat transfer performance and continuing their leadership¹ in the data centre liquid cooling market.

Why It Matters

As data centers grow more powerful, traditional air-cooling struggles to keep up with the increasing heat generated by high-performance computing and AI. DLC fluids tackle the heat head-on, targeting high heat load components to ensure densely packed server racks can continue to operate at optimal temperatures.

By directly cooling high-performance components like Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), DLC fluids can improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by up to 27%², in comparison with the power usage effectiveness (PUE) of air-cooling and reduce the need for energy-consuming air conditioning. Shell DLC Fluid S3 also meets all Open Compute Project (OCP) PG25 coolant specifications, including standards for material compatibility. It also helps to protect the manufacturer’s warranty as there is no direct contact with the microprocessor.

What Makes Shell DLC Fluid S3 Stand Out

• Long-term corrosion protection for all DLC cooling systems, including aluminium, brass, cast iron, steel, solder and copper. Specially formulated to provide superior protection for aluminium and aluminium alloys.
• Excellent heat transfer performance: Particularly for high-surface-area copper-based heat sinks.
• Compatible with a wide range of materials: Including metals and metal alloys, elastomers, plastics and other wetted materials as per OCP guidelines. Its 2-ethylhexyl acrylate-, borate- and silicate-free formulation provides improved metal and rubber compatibilities over competitive formulations.³
• Extended fluid life: Expected life of 6+ years,⁴ better than competitive conventional inorganic acid technology (IAT) based fluids.⁵
• Easy leak detection: Dyed fluorescent green to help identify in-service leakage.
• Freeze protection: Used in servers and electronic components to provide freeze protection down to sub-zero temperatures (−10°C/14°F) and help prevent corrosion to ensure long hardware life.

 “With Shell DLC Fluid S3, Shell now offers both direct-to-chip and full immersion cooling solutions, and we’re not just keeping data centers cool in the age of AI — we’re powering the future of digital infrastructure,” said Aysun Akik, VP New Business Development and Global Key Accounts, Shell Lubricants. “We are continuing our commitment to innovation that delivers on performance, sustainability, and reliability to support our customers’ goals.”

Akik continues, “Our growing range of advanced liquid cooling solutions is designed to meet the diverse needs of modern data centres both today, and tomorrow – and are backed by the strength of