Purdue University researchers are developing a miniature refrigeration system small enough to fit inside laptops and personal computers, a cooling technology that would boost performance while shrinking the size of computers. Unlike conventional cooling systems, which use a fan to circulate air through heat sinks attached to computer chips, the miniature refrigerator would dramatically increase how much heat could be removed, according to Suresh Garimella, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Cooling Technologies Research Center at Purdue.

The Purdue researchers are focusing on learning how to design miniature compressors and evaporators, critical for refrigeration systems. The researchers developed an analytical model for designing tiny compressors that pump refrigerants using penny-size diaphragms and validated the model with experimental data. "One challenge is that it's difficult to make a compressor really small that runs efficiently and reliably," said Garimella.

New types of cooling systems will be needed for future computer chips that will likely generate ten times more heat than today's microprocessors, especially in small "hot spots," noted Garimella. The ability to cool below ambient temperature could result in smaller, more powerful computers and improve reliability by reducing long-term heat damage to chips.

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