MEMS Active Cooling With Vibrating Airflow for Heat Spreaders

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cooling solutions for computing devices, such as fans and heat spreaders, are inadequate for effectively managing heat in both mobile and larger devices, leading to performance throttling due to excessive heat generation, especially as computing power increases.

Innovation Solution

A MEMS-based active cooling system that includes a heat spreader thermally coupled with a heat-generating structure, where a centrally anchored cooling element undergoes vibrational motion to drive fluid towards the heat spreader without directly targeting it, utilizing a combination of a top plate, orifice plate, and support structure to enhance heat dissipation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If active cooling devices such as fans are used to drive air through computing devices, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but device complexity and size increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipation capabilityVSAvoidcooling system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical fans with a piezoelectric MEMS cooling element that uses piezoelectric actuation to drive fluid flow. This substitution eliminates moving mechanical parts while maintaining active cooling functionality, thereby reducing device complexity and improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling element utilizes vibrational motion at resonant frequencies to drive fluid through the cooling system. By operating at resonance, the system achieves effective fluid propulsion with minimal energy input and without requiring complex mechanical drive mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Temperature

If passive cooling devices such as heat spreaders are used in mobile devices, then device portability is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipation capabilityVSAvoiddevice portability

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces passive thermal conduction systems with an active piezoelectric-driven fluid cooling system. This enables mobile devices to achieve superior heat dissipation capability while maintaining portability, as the piezoelectric MEMS structure is compact and can be integrated into thin device profiles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Temperature

If cooling solutions are incorporated into computing devices, then heat management is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat management capabilityVSAvoidcooling system integration difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into functionally independent modules: piezoelectric actuation layer, MEMS cooling element, fluid channels, and heat spreader. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and optimized separately using specialized processes, then integrated into the final device, thereby simplifying overall manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The piezoelectric cooling element is integrated within the existing device structure, nesting the cooling functionality within the housing or between existing components. This nested integration approach minimizes additional manufacturing steps and allows the cooling system to be incorporated into existing production lines.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

The system efficiently dissipates heat by driving fluid at high speeds towards the heat spreader, reducing backflow and maintaining resonance, thereby allowing computing devices to operate at higher speeds for longer periods without throttling, suitable for both mobile and larger devices with limited space.

Implementation Method 1

A piezoelectric cooling element may be positioned within the housing and may be configured to vibrate at a frequency that corresponds to a structural resonance for the cooling element and to an acoustic resonance for the chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Implementation Method 2

A piezoelectric cooling element may be positioned within the housing and may be configured to vibrate at a frequency that corresponds to a structural resonance for the cooling element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical vibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 3

A heat spreader may be positioned between the heat-generating structure and the piezoelectric cooling element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS12089374B2MEMS-based active cooling systems

Publication Date: 2024.09.10 FRORE SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A cooling system including a heat spreader and a cooling element is described. The heat spreader is thermally coupled with a heat-generating structure. The cooling element is in fluid communication heat spreader. The heat-generating structure is offset from the cooling element. The cooling element undergoes vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward the heat spreader while not directing the fluid directly at the heat-generating structure.