Solid-state, microchip-sized fan promises to cool laptops

While solid-state hard drives are still only just beginning to catch on, if a group of researchers from Thorrn Micro Technologies have their way, there could soon be another solid-state laptop component headed your way. That component in question is a microchip-sized fan, which boasts no moving parts but is apparently capable of keeping a laptop or other electronic devices cool. To do that, the fan reportedly makes use of the same technology found in household air purifiers, which results in a flow rate three times greater than typical small mechanical fan, not to mention lower power consumption and completely silent operation. Of course, the fan is still in the early testing stages, but the researchers see virtually no end to its potential, with them boasting that it's "one of the most significant advancements in electronics cooling since heat pipes," and adding that it could "change the cooling paradigm for mobile electronics."

[Yoni @ Mar 19th 2008 2:22PM]

Don't those household air purifiers also create an amazing amount of ozone as well? Or is that just Sharper Image brand purifiers?

[Chebwa @ Mar 19th 2008 2:37PM]

These fans probably move air with the same technology as the Breezes, but I think MUCH additional hardware would be required to screw the air up like they do.

[jmiday @ Mar 19th 2008 2:37PM]

actually they create a *tiny* amount of ozone

[Ken @ Mar 19th 2008 3:17PM]

You are correct. Anything ionizing the air creates ozone. I don't think it would be too much to build in a catalyst to break down the ozone.

[Arjun @ Mar 20th 2008 12:28AM]

As I understand they only create ozone when in the "ion" mode which can be switched off

[vaughn @ Sep 21st 2008 7:47PM]

These would be great for small devices like small internal amplifiers and power supplies. When I built a boom-box in wood class (Yes, a WOOD boom-box, 42 watts worth with a folded internal enclosure for good bass) in the early 80's I found cooling inside the case to be troublesome. Eventually I used some scrap aluminum and fed it through the back to aid in cooling. Worked pretty well though with the 8 'D' cells it weighted a hefty amount. The biggest issue I see is the ozone creation, its corrosive and also problematic for those with Asthma. As others alluded to, it would be a HUGE boon to laptop cooling. Instead of 1 or 2 fans you could have 4 or 5 of these things pumping air around. Calling it a 'free air pump' would get around those that object to calling these a fan. The one issue these won't solve by themselves is dust, based what I can divine of their design these would suffer from the same dust issues a 'real' fan would suffer from.

[Kamokazi @ Mar 19th 2008 2:24PM]

Sounds like a great new product line for Sharper Image...oh wait...

[Oliver @ Mar 19th 2008 2:24PM]

One would find this a good device to use to cool GPU's with massive fans such as the 8800 and 9800 series by nVidia.

[Sharakar @ Mar 19th 2008 2:33PM]

This thing future is gonna be the same time when umpc's are gonna start needing em, aka when they'll start playing crysis

[NHAnimator @ Mar 19th 2008 2:33PM]

Also great for keeping Roosevelt cool.

[jmiday @ Mar 19th 2008 2:41PM]

totally... Can i just put a handful of these in my pocket?

[mushrooshi @ Mar 20th 2008 12:44AM]

My highschool is Theodore Roosevelt ^.^

[ShadoweX @ Mar 19th 2008 2:39PM]

Don't they also make dust stick to the metal blades? I have an Ionic Breeze air purifier and that thing catches everything on it's blades. It would be cool to have a fanless cooling system that is very thin.

[jmiday @ Mar 19th 2008 2:42PM]

Works better on Eisenhower though :p

[JaceFace @ Mar 19th 2008 2:45PM]

Listen, this can't possible be a "fan" if it has no moving parts. A "fan" is called such because it "fans". "To fan" is, by definition, "to create a current of air BY MOVEMENT of a surface".

So this is a device for cooling. Not a fan.

[Pingmeister @ Mar 19th 2008 2:51PM]

The only thing worse than a pedantic comment like this is the fact that I feel compelled to respond (ashamed++).

I think it is entirely acceptable to name something for the part that it replaces. If this component can replace fans in a case, performing the exact same job, I think it can be called a fan.

[NalosLayor @ Mar 19th 2008 3:14PM]

Semantics. This is a device that moves air, via electrostatic means. It is a "cooling" device, but it more specifically moves air. Most people call a thing that moves air a "fan" -- don't you have better things to do? For that matter, don't *I* have better things to do? Okay, I'm out...

[aardvark sandwich @ Mar 19th 2008 2:59PM]

Whoa, I'm impressed.

Give yourself a big pat on the back.

[Adam @ Mar 19th 2008 2:58PM]

And who are you to define what the surface of this object is? An empty pool has a surface, but you fill it with water and it's surface becomes the water's surface. You fill this object's troughs with ionized air particles, could not these particles become the primary surface, and with that, does this surface not MOVE, ergo causing a current?

Here, I'll quote from the article:
"Within the intense electric field that results, ions push neutral air molecules from the wire to the plate, generating a wind. The phenomenon is called corona wind."

Ions pushing air molecules... Surface of an Ionized particle? Perhaps these might be considered the component of it's fan?

[Andir3.0 @ Mar 19th 2008 4:17PM]

"I think it is entirely acceptable to name something for the part that it replaces."

Oh Brilliant! I was riding to work in my sleigh and listening to the voice box. There was a melodic bard singing praises of ale and rear ends. It was jolly. They played the guitar ever so well. I checked my abacus when I reached my office and found your stirring letter to us an uplifting and gay retort to a seemingly rash response. I look forward to reading more when I have my spectacles resized. Bravo!

[Jason @ Mar 19th 2008 4:21PM]

I gotta agree with JaceFace. The device in question in no way resembles any current definition of a "fan" that I've been able to look up, other than it also moves air. But hey, my lungs move air too, but I doubt anyone would classify our lungs as 'fans'...

[hello @ Mar 19th 2008 5:59PM]

"I think it is entirely acceptable to name something for the part that it replaces."
so pc's should be called macs?

[Bman @ Mar 20th 2008 1:42AM]

And macs should be called xerox?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Alto

[sarpulas @ Mar 20th 2008 6:58AM]

They should not be named fans, if it has no fan.

In my language, hard drives were named something roughly meaning "immobile drives", then portable hard drives came out and no one thought it was extremely stupid, and so now we have "mobile immobile drives".

If something doesn't fit the original definition, just find a new name.

[andres @ Mar 20th 2008 11:35PM]

so robots should be called humans?

[stevee @ Mar 19th 2008 2:55PM]

cool

[d0n0van @ Mar 19th 2008 3:00PM]

The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum.

[BigD145 @ Mar 19th 2008 3:20PM]

So, how often do I need to open my laptop in order to clean this tiny little fan? Once a month? Once a day?

[Joe @ Mar 19th 2008 3:36PM]

Could use this to circulate air in a closed system, that would keep it dust free - though not as efficient as sucking in outside air.

[Dave @ Mar 19th 2008 3:31PM]

Wow, everyone knows this is one of the great problems with laptops of today. I guess it would be really usefull also in HTPC's and such devices. We really need cooler devices to be able to increase performance. How will this affect battery time compared to a spinning fan?

[InTheCatBoxAgain @ Mar 19th 2008 3:34PM]

I was just thinking about this the other day, so I guess it can be done.

As others have said, wont this gather particles and need to be cleaned?

[Joe @ Mar 19th 2008 3:39PM]

Silly consumer, this cooling device will function perfectly well for the expected lifetime of the product.

In other words, we expect it to fail shortly after the warranty is up - you will want a new notebook by then anyway, right?

[InTheCatBoxAgain @ Mar 19th 2008 3:42PM]

Haha, I guess you make a good point.

Just another way to force an upgrade.

[BatteryAcid @ Mar 19th 2008 4:10PM]

It sounds like this fan works by propelling ions. I may be wrong but it seems like this would disrupt nearby electronics (like the computer it's in). Also the main reason the Ionic Breeze collects dust is its design and release of negative ions.

The article says; "This device is also more dust-tolerant than predecessors. While dust attraction is ideal for living-room-scale fans that that provide both air flow and filtration, debris can be a devastating obstacle when the goal is to cool an electrical component."

It also states;
"Within the intense electric field that results, ions push neutral air molecules from the wire to the plate, generating a wind. The phenomenon is called corona wind."

Heres two pages on Ions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EHD_thruster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionic_breeze

[Darwin @ Mar 20th 2008 12:51AM]

I'm with you. It would seem that loose ions would collect on the nearest suitable surface that, on an ungrounded electronic device, could possibly build up a large enough charge to short something out.

[Noah @ Mar 19th 2008 5:27PM]

I want to make an aircraft engines using these little things. Any word on cost?

[hello @ Mar 19th 2008 6:31PM]

im hungry.

[ssuk @ Mar 19th 2008 6:41PM]

Oh man, I told the CPU not to let his heatsink get together with that fan bitch. Now they're having a kid. The GPU is going to so freak out about this...

[Mikey @ Mar 19th 2008 10:24PM]

Sweet, Solid State Cancer.

[aardvark sandwich @ Mar 20th 2008 9:28AM]

In this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!