In the Spotlight: Dr. George Zhang & Michael Morrison of Valvoline

Morning, friends! Logan here. If you’re like me, you might’ve only thought of Valvoline as the place you take your car when you’re a thousand miles overdue for an oil change. But as we learned through our interview with Valvoline’s VP of R&D, Dr. George Zhang, and Director of New Ventures, Michael Morrison - their work extends far beyond ensuring your car runs smoothly.

Our conversation centered around the role they’re playing in the AI space, right from our own backyard in Lexington, Kentucky.

AI data centers are running into a serious problem when it comes to cooling their computers. As chips become more powerful, they’re producing so much heat that they risk melting themselves. For some data centers, up to 50% of the power they consume has to be used just to cool these high performance machines, and traditional air cooling just isn’t cutting it anymore.

That’s where Valvoline comes in. Yes, the same company that’s been a leader in automotive lubricants for over a century is now tackling one of AI’s biggest challenges, leveraging its expertise in heat transfer to cool next-generation data centers.

In the clip below, George explains their approach during my tour of their R&D facility:

This episode is a bit different from our typical focus on innovation driven by startups, but equally important to shed some light on the innovation happening at the large corporate companies that call KY home as well.

What We Discussed:

Why AI data centers are overheating – The chips powering artificial intelligence are so powerful that they generate extreme heat, sometimes to the point of self-destruction. With AI scaling at a massive rate, cooling is becoming a critical issue that could slow down innovation.

How Valvoline is solving the problem – While most people associate Valvoline with motor oil, the company has long been an expert in heat transfer and coolant technology. Now, they’re applying that expertise to create advanced dielectric fluid coolants designed for immersion cooling and direct-to-chip cooling in AI hardware.

The future of AI and energy efficiency – The demand for AI means data centers will continue to expand, consuming enormous amounts of electricity. Valvoline is working to make AI infrastructure more efficient, ensuring that more power goes toward computing rather than being wasted on cooling.

Why Kentucky plays a role in AI innovation – Valvoline’s headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, is home to some of the leading research in fluid dynamics. The company collaborates with local universities and tech initiatives, positioning Kentucky as a key player in the future of this niche in AI infrastructure.

What’s next for Valvoline? – Beyond AI, Valvoline is exploring new applications for its heat transfer technology, including electric vehicle battery cooling, industrial lubricants, and sustainable solutions that reduce carbon footprints.

We hope you enjoy this episode! If you have any thoughts after listening, feel free to shoot me a message at [email protected]

Have a great week, friends!

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