Electrohydrodynamic Gas Pump for Cooling Electronic Components in a Vertical Channel

In this study, we further demonstrate that an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas pump is ideal for cooling electronic components. To this end, two electrode configurations are considered, aligned, and offset. In addition, two flow conditions are considered: an aiding flow when thermal buoyancy is in the same direction as that of the corona induced flow, and an opposing flow when it is in the opposite direction to that of the corona jets. To better 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 pump with offset electrode configuration produces the best cooling effect, as it can considerably reduce the average and maximum surface temperatures on each electronic component. For the pump with aligned electrodes, although it is still good for electronics cooling, its operating condition needs to be carefully monitored. Otherwise, it may lead to an adverse result in some cases, where the outcome is worse than not applying an EHD pump at all.