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[deleted] t1_iyj1gki wrote

Reply to comment by Dash_Lambda in Better Than Fans? New 'AirJet' Chip Promises To Overhaul Laptop Cooling by Avieshek

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CoalFries t1_iyj5b0k wrote

You're thinking of the peltier coolers. The piezoelectric fans that they are mentioning are the ones that vibrate like you mentioned

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Neo_Techni t1_iykc9h5 wrote

> You're thinking of the peltier coolers

ah. probably, I can't recall names worth a damn

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marcocom t1_iyju4g5 wrote

Remember peltiers!? And how we used to have to scotch-guard the entire Mobo to avoid condensation issues?

We’ve come a long way baby

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ChronWeasely t1_iyj6vqa wrote

"No."

My least favorite way to start a reply. Especially when wrong. Which you are.

Also electricity directly into cold? Sounds like a violation of the first law of thermodynamics. Some heat must be dumped somewhere.

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Samarium149 t1_iyj9bpn wrote

I mean, technically you can convert electricity into "cold" using extremely precise laser frequencies and atomic resonances to convert thermal energies into photonic light.

Cooling a CPU using this method is probably overkill.

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CygnusX-1-2112b t1_iyjddvd wrote

Unless you're trying to overclock a pentium duocore to 10ghz without giving our solar system a second star.

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flyingtrucky t1_iykhsjv wrote

Peltier coolers have been a thing in missiles since the 70s. They aren't particularly efficient but they're lightweight.

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Neo_Techni t1_iykcg21 wrote

> Sounds like a violation of the first law of thermodynamics. Some heat must be dumped somewhere.

No. I thought of that too, but that comes from the generation/transmission of electricity.

Also I had it mixed up with peltier coolers
https://lairdthermal.com/products/thermoelectric-cooler-modules

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Dash_Lambda t1_iykmp4a wrote

Are you saying Peltier coolers remove heat by generating electricity? Because they absolutely can if you apply a temperature difference across them, but to force the heat to move they actually have to convert some electricity into heat in the process.

That's the difference between thermoelectric coolers and thermoelectric generators, one uses electrical energy to move heat and the other turns the movement of heat into electrical energy.

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Neo_Techni t1_iylhnjd wrote

> Are you saying Peltier coolers remove heat by generating electricity?

No, I said the opposite. That by pumping electricity into them they remove heat.

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Jazzlike-Patience-15 t1_iyj6ska wrote

You have thermoelectric and piezoelectric mixed up.

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FireteamAccount t1_iyjapoq wrote

It creates a gradient. One side hot, one cold. It helps to move heat away from the cold side but overall it net generates heat.

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Dash_Lambda t1_iyjqdx7 wrote

I actually wasn't aware LTT did a video on Peltier coolers.

Just to clarify: Peltier coolers are heat pumps, they move heat from one side of the plate to the other. This means that like any other cooling system they don't generate cold, they remove heat. That must then be dissipated into the air by a more traditional cooler.

They're more interesting I think for power generation. The same principle is used to power the Mars rovers using a brick of plutonium (called a "radio-thermal generator"). It's really cool.

LTT more recently did a video on a piezoelectric fan. If you haven't seen it you should check it out, it's also cool.

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