Swaying CPU Fans

Vindi submitted a New Scientist story about a CPU fan that flaps in the breeze. 2cm metal or polyester fan blades, and use less power then a traditional rotary fan. They move less air then the traditional fan, but for laptops, using 99% less power can't hurt. Update Hey its a duplicate from saturday! Guess I shouldn't post while planning my trek to see LotR tomorrow. Go ahead, flame on.

Piezoelectric fans are already available!

[Anonymous Coward]

At least from Piezo Systems Inc. [piezo.com] in Cambridge, MA. Their specs are worth reproducing:

* Input Voltage: 115VAC, 60 Hz
* Capacitance: 15 nF
* Power Consumption: 30 mW
* Volume Flow Rate: 2 CFM, (0.9 l/s)
* Peak Air Velocity: 400 FPM, (2.0 m/s)
* Weight: 2.8 grams
* Mounting: #2-56 clr. holes, 2 places
* Temperature Range: -20 C to 70 C
* EMI/RFI: None

However, they're not cheap. Pricing starts at $149. Additionally there is a Piezoelectric Resonant Blade Element [piezo.com]. Interesting stuff. Hopefully mass production of piezoelectric fans will lower their price to the average customer range.

The ultimate fan would...

[Ami Ganguli]

...somehow use the heat from the CPU to power the fan. As the CPU got hotter, the fan would move faster.

I have no idea how this could be done, but there must be a way.

Peizo fans are at least 15 years old

[b1t r0t]

I had a peizo fan in my old Mac (a 128 with a Levco MonsterMac 2 meg upgrade) back in 1986. It had two strips (about 1cm by 4cm) sticking out of the top, and the strips vibrated. It was held in there by velcro and just pushed the air around. (It did not attach to a CPU or anything like that.)

It's kind of hard to tell exactly what this article is describing, but it sounds like exactly the same thing at half the size.