On Electronics Cooling Using an Electrohydrodynamic Gas Pump with Aligned Electrodes

Previous studies have shown that electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pumps are a viable alternative for traditional fans. In this study, it is further demonstrated that an EHD gas pump is 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 with aligned electrodes. Three heat dissipation rates are evaluated: 100, 200, and 500 W/m2. To evaluate the performance of the EHD gas pump, the results are compared with those obtained without using the EHD pump. The present results show that an EHD gas pump can generally produce desirable cooling effects if used properly. The average surface temperature and maximum temperature on the electronic components cooled by the EHD gas pump with electrodes mounted on the horizontal walls are lower than those obtained with electrodes mounted on the vertical walls. Thus, it is important to consider the effect of electrode orientation in selecting an appropriate EHD gas pump for application in electronics cooling.