Alex L., S.I.N, May, Fanless Air Exchange Technology

A major power drain and overall issue for notebook computers is the cooling system, for as computing power is condensed, more heat is generated. This heat must be removed to avoid potentially damaging temperatures. A new technology is being developed independently in many places to combat this, as reported on in the article “Cool Idea: Fan-Free Technology Could Put a Chill on Hot Laptops” written by Larry Greenemeier and published at Sciam.com. The technology under development is a step forward in the process of the remedying this problem, a fanless air/heat-exchange system.
The specific technology, the electrostatic fluid accelerator (EFA), operates as follows: air at one side of the device is ionized and this ionized fluid is drawn toward a negatively charged electrode at the opposite side of the device. The ionized air brings with it un-ionized air and thereby generates a current of air. A heat sink could be built into the device itself, or it could be easily integrated. In a laboratory setting, one research group constructed an EFA that could develop a similar amount of heat transfer as could a conventional fan, but needed only half the energy input. While researchers are unwilling to explain the function of the unit in more depth, they do concede some faults do exist. Faults included that a basis for mass production does not exist and its longevity is unknown.
Portable electronics cannot become more powerful unless more heat can be efficiently removed. This technology is the logical next step to take in this direction.