Researchers at Purdue University are developing a miniature refrigeration system - a cooling technology that would boost performance while shrinking the size of computers - small enough to fit inside personal computers (both desktops and laptops).
Unlike conventional cooling systems which use a fan to circulate air through finned devices called heat sinks attached to computer chips, miniature refrigeration would dramatically increase the amount of heat which could be removed.
The research is led by Suresh Garimella and Eckhard Groll, a professor of mechanical engineering. The researchers claim that all other cooling methods only cool the chip down to ambient temperature, whereas refrigeration allows you to cool below surrounding temperatures.
They have developed an analytical model for designing tiny compressors that pump refrigerants using penny-size diaphragms and validated the model with experimental data. The elastic membranes are made of ultra-thin sheets of a plastic called polyimide and coated with an electrically conducting metallic layer.
The metal layer allows the diaphragm to be moved back and forth to produce a pumping action using electrical charges, or "electrostatic diaphragm compression."
