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'Nano-Lightning' Could Cool Computer Chips
FizzyC writes "A story on New Scientist describes a technique to cool computer chips using charged ions. The system consists of 300 electrodes that ionise and then pump the air molecules across the surface of the chip. The Purdue University technology is the first air-based system to produce a cooling rate similar to water - 40 watts per square centimetre."
How much heat does this heatsink *produce*, by ionizing air. I suspect than not much less than the 40W/cm2 it claims to cool.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, consult.
(see subject.)
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
As I read it, basically, the air is ionized by electrodes, and the ionized air is then pulled across the heat sink via electric charge. This happens to be the same concept as used in the "Ion Air Purifiers" that are advertised on TV. This is supposedly more efficient because the airflow is induced along the surface of the heatsink directly instead of the brute-force method of a fan where the air is thrown at the heatsink en masse and it is hoped that it diplaces the hot air already there. Kinda makes me wonder how this would work in a real-world environment... small particles like dust, pollen, and smoke are attracted to the ionized surfaces (this is how the air purifiers work), so in a place like Southern California, I would imagine that the dust buildup on the heatsink would be much worse with this method than a fan... And dust buildup on a heatsink is not only an insulator, but in the case of the ionized airflow heatsink, it may actually render the ionization process useless, and the air will cease to flow, creating not only an insulated heatsink, but dead air over it.
Won't this system produce nanothunder?
I have something like this in my newly purchased home, and it's totally passive. Essentially, it's an insulated room in the basement with a vent near the ceiling to the outside. Warmer air escapes through the vent (and cooler air may seep in that way, too), and the temperature stays low. When the rest of my basment is around 18 degrees C, this rooms is no more than 8 degrees C in the summer and can get as low as ~0 degrees C in the winter. I keep thinking I should get a system set up to help bleed warm air out of there faster. Given where I live, this could operate well within safe cooling ranges for food for half the year (maybe longer, depending on how fast it heats up). For foods that are less sensitive (whole fruits and vegetables, things that just taste better cool) this is already a full-year solution.
Easiest way to make this active is 2 thermostats (one that supports A/C), maybe a couple of electric switches, and a fan. When the air outside is lower than the target temperature (heat setting) and the air inside is higher (cool setting), allow the fan to run. If wiring in series isn't allowed (if the type of thermostat can't support 120V AC), use switches that are turned on when the thermostat tells it to. Sounds like a fun project...
Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
I've often wondered this myself. Why are refrigerator coils mounted on the back of the refrigerator, instead of outside? Why do we use upright refrigerators instead of chest style, which don't get filled with hot air everytime you open the door? Why do people drive SUVs that get 16MPG and are less safe (due to their higher center of gravity) than a hybrid which costs less and gets 50MPG? Why doesn't anybody install ground source thermal heating/air conditioning, instead of using outside air as a heat sink (ground stays at about 68 degrees year round, outside air is always hotter when you want to cool and cooler when you want to heat.)
The only answer I can think of is that the average consumer is an idiot! Most people would rather save $1 today than $10 over the next 20 years. (Oh, and if you installed the refrigerator coils outside, you would have to pay to have it installed by an A/C professional.)
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
The reason no one has replaced their fans with Ionic Breezes is because they move air slowly and require constant cleaning. They simply don't remove heat from the case fast enough. You even said so yourself: "They don't throughput much air, and they need constant cleaning,"
Hammer of Truth
So you would want to make a bunch of ions inside your computer, don't get me wrong but would'nt you have some electrical problems then.
When I recenty installed some new memory, it came with a nice static electricity warning. So now you would want to make a gas-cloud of ions inside your computer, if static electricity can kill your components doesn't that mean that ions can too?
Ok, as long as the system is running the ions are trapped between all those electrodes, but where to these ions go when you switch off the power?
Better have some capacitators ready......