Name: Laptop Cooling Fan
CAD: Solidworks 2009

Description:

Today, laptops are designed with poor cooling systems that result in overheating. The rapidly increasing market for desktop-replacement laptop computers has further increased overheating problems. Because the desktop hardware is packed into a thin notebook shell, airflow throughout the chassis is not sufficient for cool operation. My solution is to force airflow throughout the system via cooling fans that are positioned under airflow vents on the laptop.

Currently, manufacturers such as Belkin and Targus are selling general cooling pads for laptops, but the actual internal temperature of the laptops is hardly affected by these devices. My extreme redesign for increased efficiency of these fans has developed into three or four identical fans placed under vents that force airflow throughout the system, instead of just cooling the exterior.

After printing my design with a Dimension BST 1200es and assembling a working prototype, I tested my design on four different laptops; Using a program I wrote to probe the cpu, video card and hard drive of current temperatures, I was able to calculate exactly how much the cooling fan improved the internal temperature. In both idling and benchmarking tests, the laptops were an average 35% cooler than without the prototype.