New cheap technology can cool laptops up to 50 percent more efficiently

Scientists from Singapore have developed an efficient method of cooling electronics without the use of fans. The method combines material with minute holes and channels with vapor chamber technology.

According to the scientists at the National University of Singapore, the cooling system can be used for large-scale electronic systems, but also for consumer products such as laptops. In large systems, dissipated heat could be reused, while consumer electronics no longer require fans.

The effectiveness could potentially be 50 percent higher than traditional cooling methods, claims Lee Poh Sen of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His method is said to be more stable and reliable than traditional cooling systems and less affected by temperature fluctuations. He points out the advantages in terms of performance and service life by being able to keep systems stable at a lower temperature.

The scientists combine two different types of heatsink technologies in their method: microgaps and stepped fin microchannels. The micro-holes in a surface should promote the dissipation of heat, after which the micro-channels dissipate the heat. The discharge would be improved by gradually reducing the height of the thin cooling fins.

The scientists also apply the principle of a vapor chamber: they use a liquid to fill the holes and when the droplets evaporate, the heat is absorbed, which is released again during condensation when the vapor is discharged to colder parts of the body. surface.

The basis of the method is not much different from technologies already used in cooling some electronics today, but the finesse lies in the combination and the execution, says Lee: “We worked for two years to get the proper setup. Really good system performance depends on the correct size of the holes and the structure of the surface of the channels through which the refrigerant flows.” His team has received a quarter of a million dollars from the Singapore National Research Foundation and hopes to have a prototype ready by early 2014. Then more details about the system should be known.