OT: Mobo maker builds 'powerless' processor cooling fan

Cool!

But I give one of those fans no more than a two months lifespan, in a typical computer case environment, before the dust kills it.

Cheers Trevor Jones

from "AC"

The report is seriously flawed though since the cooler is not on the processor at all, it's on the SouthBridge Chipset which normally has a simple 'finned' heat-sink. The small fans that were once used here died a natural death 4 ot 5 years ago.

JG

It would be nice to acquire one of the engines though! I'm thinking small model boats.

Steve R.

Given the tiny outputs of the really small Stirling Cycle engines, I would be really surprised to see one of these put out more than enough power to keep itself running.

I'd snag a bunch at the surplus sale! :-)

Cheers Trevor Jones

There are lots of things in computers which move, and get dusty - fans etc - I think the dust problem may be over-rated.

Self-starting needs two cylinders, but that isn't a deal-breaker either.

IMO the real problems are the low cooling efficiency/rate, and that there is, almost by definition, enough spare electricity inside a computer to run a small fan anyway.

-- Peter Fairbrother