A linear fan including a fan blade attached a fan frame by a wire spring having a first end attached to the fan blade and a second end attached to the fan frame. The fan blade includes a free end such that the blade oscillates by pivoting on the wire spring. The the wire spring flexes to enable the fan blade to oscillate. The fan includes a motor for driving the oscillation of the fan blade. The motor includes an armature or permanent magnet connected to the fan blade and a stator assembly connected to the fan frame. The stator assembly includes a current carrying coil wrapped around a leg of a stator core. The motor is controlled to vary the direction of the current being carried in the coil to thereby change the direction of the magnetic field created by the stator assembly and cause the fan blade to oscillate.

A linear fan including a fan blade attached a fan frame by a wire spring having a first end attached to the fan blade and a second end attached to the fan frame. The fan blade includes a free end such that the blade oscillates by pivoting on the wire spring. The the wire spring flexes to enable the fan blade to oscillate. The fan includes a motor for driving the oscillation of the fan blade. The motor includes an armature or permanent magnet connected to the fan blade and a stator assembly connected to the fan frame. The stator assembly includes a current carrying coil wrapped around a leg of a stator core. The motor is controlled to vary the direction of the current being carried in the coil to thereby change the direction of the magnetic field created by the stator assembly and cause the fan blade to oscillate.

A piezoelectric cooling system and method for driving the cooling system are described. The piezoelectric cooling system includes a first piezoelectric cooling element and a second piezoelectric cooling element. The first piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct a fluid toward a surface of a heat-generating structure. The second piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct the fluid to an outlet area after heat has been transferred to the fluid by the heat-generating structure.

A piezoelectric cooling system and method for driving the cooling system are described. The piezoelectric cooling system includes a first piezoelectric cooling element and a second piezoelectric cooling element. The first piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct a fluid toward a surface of a heat-generating structure. The second piezoelectric cooling element is configured to direct the fluid to an outlet area after heat has been transferred to the fluid by the heat-generating structure.

A cooling system and method for using the cooling system are described. The cooling system includes a plurality of individual piezoelectric cooling elements spatially arranged in an array extending in at least two dimensions, a communications interface and driving circuitry. The communications interface is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements such that selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements within the array can be activated based at least in part on heat energy generated in the vicinity of the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements. The driving circuitry is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements and is configured to drive the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements.

A cooling system and method for using the cooling system are described. The cooling system includes a plurality of individual piezoelectric cooling elements spatially arranged in an array extending in at least two dimensions, a communications interface and driving circuitry. The communications interface is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements such that selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements within the array can be activated based at least in part on heat energy generated in the vicinity of the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements. The driving circuitry is associated with the individual piezoelectric cooling elements and is configured to drive the selected individual piezoelectric cooling elements.

A pump includes a pump flow path and electrodes and dielectric members in the pump flow path to allow a fluid to pass through the electrodes and the dielectric members in a flowing direction. The electrodes and the dielectric members are alternately stacked in the flowing direction so that a dielectric member is located between adjacent electrodes. Among the electrodes, an inter-electrode polarity of each pair of electrodes is different from that of an adjacent pair of electrodes. The dielectric members include a first dielectric member at a position of an odd-numbered dielectric member counted from the most upstream side of the flowing direction and a second dielectric member at a position of an even-numbered dielectric member counted from the most upstream side of the flowing direction. Material of the first and second dielectric members provide signs of a zeta potential opposite to each other.

A cooling system is described. The cooling system includes a support structure, a cooling element, and drive electronics. The cooling element has a central axis and is supported by the support structure at the central axis. First and second portions of the cooling element are on first and second sides of the central axis and unpinned. The first and second portions of the cooling element undergo vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward a heat-generating structure. The cooling element further has first and second piezoelectrics having opposite polarizations. The first piezoelectric is part of the first portion of the cooling element. The second piezoelectric is part of the second portion of the cooling element. The drive electronics drive the first and second portions of the cooling element using a single drive signal.

A cooling system including a support structure, a cooling element, and a bottom plate is described. The cooling element has a central region and a perimeter. The cooling element is supported by the support structure at the central region. At least a portion of the perimeter is unpinned. The cooling element undergoes vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward a heat-generating structure. The bottom plate has orifices and at least one cavity therein. The at least one cavity is adjacent to and fluidically connected with the orifices. The at least one cavity and the orifices define an orifice distance between the orifices and the heat-generating structure and an orifice length within the bottom plate. The heat-generating structure and the bottom plate define a gap between a portion of the bottom plate and a portion of the heat-generating structure.

A cooling system including a heat spreader, an active cooling element, and a base is described. The heat spreader is in thermal communication with a heat-generating structure mounted on a substrate. The heat spreader over hangs the heat-generating structure. The active cooling element is in thermal communication with the heat spreader. The base supports the heat spreader and transfers a load from the heat spreader to the substrate such that a bending of the heat spreader does not exceed ten degrees.