Next Generation CPU Refrigerators

Iddo Genuth writes "Researchers at Purdue University are developing a miniature refrigeration system, small enough to fit inside laptop computers. According to the researchers, the implementation of miniature refrigeration systems in computers can dramatically increase the amount of heat removed from the microchips, therefore boosting performance while simultaneously shrinking the size of computers."

Comments

Excellent

[Anonymous Coward]

The implementation of miniature refrigeration systems in computers can dramatically increase the amount of heat removed from the microchips.

Of course, the next step will be to dramatically increase the heat output of high-end CPUs. Aren't arms races fun?

Re:Excellent

[plover]

I thought the next step would be to dramatically decrease the size of beer cans to fit in these miniature refrigerators.

Re:Excellent

[Anonymous Coward]

Or dramatically increase the size of beer cans to fit these inside. I'm not interested in "Fun Size" beers.

(Fun for who? Beer companies?)

Hype

[MojoRilla]

The article says:

The researchers developed an analytical model for designing tiny compressors that pump refrigerants using penny-sized diaphragms. This model has been validated with experimental data.

Translation:
This is completely impractical hype so far. We are looking for grant and startup money.

Re:Side Question???

[jaxtherat]

You mean mineral oil immersion?

linkage: http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/12/puget-custom-computers-mineral-oil-cooled-pc/

Re:How much juice?

[megaditto]

Could be pretty damn efficient if it's a heat pump.

A good AC unit usually consumes less than 10 times the energy it moves (a 1 kW window unit rated for 40,000 BTUs for example), but that depends how much colder the inside needs to be compared to the outside air.

In case of CPU coolers (cooling things hotter than ambient air), one could even GENERATE electricity if the size and cost of the "cooler" is not a concern (A thick diamond heatpipe to conduct heat away to distant thermocouples is how I would do it).

Re:Hotter?

[Bloodoflethe]

Yeah I don't get this, the heat need to leave the laptop somehow, and since the refrigerator will have to be within the laptop the heat remains inside it

The refrigerator's exterior heat exchanging pipes don't have to be inside the refrigerator itself. They didn't give any technical specs, so what are you worried about? Surely if they are working on this project, they'll have thought or experienced this problem if they were putting all items in the same location.

Also, consider that, to a point, the ambient heat inside a laptop can be higher, as long as the PUs are kept cool. Of course if this were the only consideration, eventually the ambient heat would screw all the components except for the processors, but, as I said, they've considered this already. I'm sure of it.