EHD gas pump as a cooling device for electronic components in a horizontal channel

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pumps are a viable alternative for traditional fans. In this study, it further demonstrates that an EHD gas pump is a device particularly ideal for cooling electronic components. To this end, four electronic components which are individually mounted on each wall of a horizontal channel are cooled by a two-stage EHD gas pump. To evaluate the effectiveness of EHD gas pump, two electrode configurations are considered; aligned and offset. Three heat dissipation rates are considered: 100 W/m², 200 W/m² and 500 W/m². The average surface temperature and the maximum temperature (i.e., the hot spot) of each electronic component are carefully examined. The results are compared with those obtained without using an EHD pump. It shows that an EHD pump with offset electrode configuration produces the best cooling effect as it generates more mixing of flow inside the channel. The average surface temperature and the maximum temperature on the electronic components cooled by EHD gas pump with offset configuration are lower than those cooled by EHD pump with aligned electrodes. More importantly, the results show that the performance of EHD pumps in terms of energy efficiency may be further improved when the two stages are operated in uneven voltages.