If GE could have it their way, we could be seeing some seriously impressive cooling solutions to replace cooling fans in future smart devices. Using a technology called Dual Piezoelectric Cooling Jets (DCJ), it was originally developed for use in jet engines – that, on its own will be music to the ears of laptop owners tired of noisy fans when using resource-intensive programs. It gets better: the entire system is only 4mm tall when applied on an Ultrabook, which allows for even thinner chassis designs. In addition, the system can be scaled depending on the intended device, making it possible for DCJ technology to be installed in laptops, Ultrabooks, tablets and also smartphones.

So how does this DCJ technology work? By using two parallel metal plates with piezo (derived from the Greek word for “press”) elements in the middle of each plate, these plates then expand and contract rapidly via DC to stimulate air movement in a system. Hot air is sucked in to the plates as they expand, and cool air is pushed out at high velocity as the plates contract. According to GE. the system mimics the lung in the way it expands and contracts to stimulate blood flow Also, with less moving parts than conventional cooling systems currently used, DCJ technology can be more reliable.

Currently, GE is trying to push its technology out to consumer products, and is in search of OEM partners to do so. In the video above, they’ve also successfullybooted an Ultrabook (a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, no less) that was fitted with DCJ technology over the standard cooling fan. However, we may only start seeing this technology in consumer devices sometime from 2014.

(Source: The Verge)