Cooling chips with mini lightning storms
Researchers at Purdue have devised nano-lightning storms as a way to cool computer chips.
In the Purdue device, an array of carbon nanotubes–long, thin strands of specialized carbon molecules–would be placed near a chip. A negative charge would be applied to some of the nanotubes, which would cause electrons to be emitted. When the electrons mix with the surrounding air, the air becomes ionized. The microscopic cloud of ionized air then leads to an imbalance of charge in the micro-atmosphere, and lightning results. It’s microscopic lightning, but the principle is the same as in an electrical storm.
Meanwhile, the cloud of electrons would be alternatively attracted to and repelled by adjacent electrodes. Alternating the voltages on the electrodes creates a cooling breeze because the moving cloud stirs the air.