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Jul 8, 2016 | By Alec

Computer technology is being developed at a tremendous pace, and new innovations are continuously pushing the limitations of existing hardware. Especially Internet-of-Things innovations are expected to put a huge strain on current systems. A new teaser from CoolChip Technologies, a developer of next-gen cooling solutions for computer hardware, could therefore not have come at a better time. They have just shared a sneak peek at a very interesting kinetic cooling unit that has been under development since 2014. Called the 1U Kinetic Cooler, it is expected to be more efficient, smaller and quieter than existing models, and looks to be aimed at cooling the Intel Skylake CPU with a TDP of up to 70W. What’s more, it has been revealed that the cooler was developed through 3D printing.

CoolChip Technologies, of course, is a promising developer of cooling technology that could make a huge name for itself over the coming years. Its origins can be traced to a breakthrough at the Sandia National Laboratories in 2011 which, as the company revealed at the time, could lead to a paradigm-shifting centrifugal aluminum cooling system. “Our Kinetic Cooling Technology addresses the limitation of traditional fan-cooled heat sink (FCHS) design by making the air mover thermally conductive and integrating it into the heat-transfer path. A Kinetic Cooling Engine transfers heat across an air gap region into a rotating heat-sink impeller,” they say.

But it has been a long wait. A few prototypes appeared in late 2014, and the company even revealed a partnership with Cooler Master at CES 2015. Unfortunately, the company’s products never seemed to materialize. But it seems as though CoolChip is now finally moving forward with their own low profile branded kinetic cooler, as became apparent from a Twitter announcement revealed a few days ago. In it, a photo of the Kinetic Cooler in its product packaging was revealed, along with the message ‘Coming soon!’. The company also showed fans in different colors – something DIY builders will be very pleased with.

So how does it work? The Kinetic Cooler itself consists of a round copper place, to which an engine has been attached that lets an aluminum centrifugal heatsink fan rotate. This transports heat away through the sides, while the spinning heatsink is further surrounded by stationary rings of fins that provide extra cooling potential. The impeller fins pulls cool air in and pushes the hot air out through the stationary fins. This complex cooling system was developed with a serious of 3D printed prototypes.

As a result, this Kinetic Cooler should be more efficient, quieter and smaller than its existing competitors. It is just 92x92x27 mm in size, and can reach rotation speeds of 2500 rpm while weighing just 280 grams. At a temperature of 65°C, its manufacturers say, the Kinetic Cooler should last for 100,000 hours. Most importantly, it produces as little as 25 dB, making it a very potent and compact solution for the post powerful computers out there. While no release date is known yet, CoolChip is changing cooling systems as we know them.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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