Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) cooled laptop

Forced air cooling with rotary fans is the most popular cooling solution for electronic products. However, increasing heat generation in microelectronics, and the demand for ever smaller portable devices, has resulted in heat fluxes and form-factors that push the limits of conventional rotary fan-based air cooling technology. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) ionic wind pumps offer an attractive alternative to fans. In this technique, applying a voltage to a sharp electrode ionizes nearby air molecules, which are then propelled by the electric field transferring momentum to neutral air molecules, generating bulk airflow and cooling. The fundamental principles of this technology have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. However, few real world applications have been produced to date due to technical challenges such as device miniaturization, high voltage generation, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and reliability. This paper discusses the successful integration of an EHD cooling system into a laptop computer. The stock rotary fans in the laptop cooling system were removed and directly replaced with EHD blowers. Airflow and thermal performance measurements, both at the device and system level are presented.