Cable-Integrated External Cooling for Fanless Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passively cooled mobile computing devices face thermal constraints that limit their performance and prevent the use of adaptive performance technologies, as they cannot increase power consumption without exceeding thermal limits.
Innovation Solution
The integration of an external air mover into a cable that provides forced air cooling to mobile computing devices, dynamically adjusting airflow based on performance and operational state to enhance cooling and allow for higher power consumption within thermal limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If passive cooling elements (heat pipes, heat sinks, vapor chambers) are used to achieve a sleek profile and quiet operation, then device portability and user comfort are improved, but thermal management capability deteriorates and performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
A liquid cooling element is introduced as an intermediary between the processing component and the heat dissipation system. The liquid cooling element includes a liquid reservoir and a capillary wick structure that enables passive heat transfer from the processing component through capillary action, effectively removing heat without requiring active pumps or fans. This intermediary system resolves the contradiction by providing superior thermal management while maintaining device portability and silence.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid cooling element utilizes phase transition of the cooling liquid (evaporation and condensation) to enhance heat dissipation efficiency. The liquid absorbs heat from the processing component through capillary wick, evaporates at the heat source, and condenses in the heat dissipation region, creating a continuous passive cooling cycle that effectively manages thermal loads without active mechanical components.
2Ease of operation
If passive cooling approaches are used to maintain sleek profile and quiet operation, then device portability is improved, but performance level deteriorates due to tighter thermal constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid cooling element serves as an intermediary thermal management system that enables high performance while maintaining portability. The processing component couples to the liquid cooling element, which passively transports heat away from the processor through capillary action and phase change, allowing the device to sustain higher performance levels without compromising ease of operation or requiring active cooling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thermal management parameters by transitioning from conventional passive cooling (heat sinks, heat pipes) to a liquid-based passive cooling system with capillary wick structure. This parameter change enables significantly improved heat transfer coefficients and thermal conductivity, allowing the device to achieve higher performance levels while maintaining the sleek profile and quiet operation characteristics of passive cooling.
3Productivity
If active cooling approaches are used to increase performance level, then processing capability is improved, but device complexity and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid cooling element acts as an intermediary system that provides active-level cooling performance without the complexity of active cooling components. By using capillary wick structure and phase change of liquid, the system achieves efficient heat removal comparable to active cooling, but without requiring pumps, fans, or complex control systems, thus resolving the contradiction between processing capability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid cooling element operates on self-service principles through capillary action and phase change. The liquid automatically circulates from the reservoir through the capillary wick structure, absorbs heat from the processing component, evaporates, condenses, and returns to the reservoir without any external power source or mechanical actuation. This self-service mechanism provides high processing capability while eliminating the complexity and noise associated with active cooling systems.
4Power
If higher power consumption is used to increase performance, then processing capability is improved, but thermal limits are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid cooling element serves as an intermediary thermal management system that enables higher power consumption by efficiently removing the additional heat generated. The liquid cooling element with capillary wick structure provides enhanced heat transfer capability, allowing the processing component to operate at higher power levels without exceeding thermal limits, thus resolving the contradiction between processing capability and thermal constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transitions of the cooling liquid to manage thermal limits under high power consumption. The liquid evaporates at the heat source where high power is consumed, absorbing large amounts of latent heat, and condenses in the heat dissipation region, releasing the heat externally. This phase change mechanism enables the system to sustain higher power consumption levels while maintaining safe operating temperatures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables mobile computing devices to operate at higher power levels while maintaining safe temperatures, allowing for the incorporation of adaptive performance technologies and improving user comfort by reducing overheating.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid cooling element may include a liquid reservoir and a capillary wick structure that transfers heat from the processing component to a heat dissipation structure
Implementation Method 2
The liquid cooling element may include a liquid reservoir and a capillary wick structure that transfers heat from the processing component to a heat dissipation structure
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2
AI summary
An air mover external to a mobile computing device provides enhanced cooling to the device by generating forced air delivered to the device via cooling channels connected to openings in the device chassis. If the mobile computing device is passively cooled (is a fanless device), the enhanced cooling can enable the device or device components to operate at a higher power consumption level without exceeding device/component thermal limits or for features that consume high amounts of power (e.g., fast charging) to be incorporated into the device. The air mover can be integrated into or attached to a cable that provides power to the mobile computing device. The air mover can be powered by the cable. The air mover can dynamically adjust the flow rate of the forced air based on device/component performance information (temperature, power consumption, current consumption) or operational state information of the device.