Ionic wind engine nearly halves processor temps

helmutcheese

helmutcheese

helmutcheese

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Researchers at Purdue University have developed an ionic wind engine that can significantly enhance the efficiency of conventional processor coolers. EE times has the details here:
The ionic wind engine prototype consists of two high-voltage electrodes positioned on either side of a chip's backside. By putting a thousand voltage potential between the electrodes, air molecules become charged and an ionic wind is generated between them across the surface of the chip. Ordinarily the "no-slip" effect in air flow keeps the air molecules closest to a surface increasingly stationary, thereby inhibiting thermal transfer. However, if ionic wind engines could be integrated in arrays on the backside of chips, then normal cooling fans would become more than double their efficiency because air near the surface of chips would no longer be stationary.
In the researchers' tests, a chip running at a temperature of 60°C with normal cooling equipment saw its temperature dip to 35°C thanks to the ionic wind engine. Purdue Professor Suresh Garimella comments, "We get a 250 percent improvement in heat-transfer coefficient." However, he adds, "The key challenges ahead are ensuring that we can operate at lower voltages, and making sure we have a robust electrode design." (Thanks to TR reader MrJP for the tip.)


http://www.techreport.com/onearticle.x/13049

http://eetimes.com/news/latest/show...d=DNEENNIDW1X20QSNDLSCKHA?articleID=201800306
 
"normal cooling equipment"

If this means stock CPU cooler, would these results be similar to just watercooling?
 
As far as I understand it it's different than that. The issue will exist with water cooling to some extent and is lessend by surficants such as the super-coolants used as additives.

The issue is that particals close to the heat source 'stick' to the surface creating an insulating layer. The ion wind moves these particals creating a greater airflow which is in direct contact with the heatsource.
 
The two links are to the same thing. Using a negatively charged cathode to pull the ions across the chip creating a "wind". Would not work with a HSF as it stands, they'd need to apply it to the HSF and not the CPU. Could probably be useful in freeing up motherboard space though, how much heat do the bridges actually create?
 
DampCat said:
The two links are to the same thing. Using a negatively charged cathode to pull the ions across the chip creating a "wind". Would not work with a HSF as it stands, they'd need to apply it to the HSF and not the CPU. Could probably be useful in freeing up motherboard space though, how much heat do the bridges actually create?
Click to expand...

Dampcat you know that there are about 6 children born a second right? And only about 2 die. What we have to do is kill more people.
 
Difference being though that watercooling takes up a lot of space even if you have a large case.

theseionic wind machine things are meant to only be small and they cool 100% of the processor.
 
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