Human technical prowess relies heavily on the conversion of energy from one form to another, to meet our needs. Physiological needs underpin Maslow’s pyramid of all our other ones. The availability of hot water is in turn important for that. Likely we’ve been heating water since the early Neolithic, converting chemical energy stored in wood to heat (radiative and … [Read more...]

  A lot of engineering involves the management of energies, converting them from one form to another, channeling off useful work to power our cars, planes, phones, lights, etc. To date, we haven’t come up with a system to channel all energy into the desired task. Even the most advanced power generation systems still end up heating water to steam to drive turbines, a cycle … [Read more...]

  There are a handful of quoted and re-quoted drivers, concepts and technologies in the electronics cooling industry. Be it a presentation, peer-reviewed paper, press release, thermal design guide or webinar the same core material keeps popping up in various guises. This is by no means a bad thing. The challenges faced when cooling electronics are clear, clearly … [Read more...]

  A recently issued patent describes a process by which the critical IC temperature (junction temperature, Tj) can be determined in an end-user environment. A critical junction temperature is one that, should the IC temperature go beyond it, will continue to increase in a thermal runaway scenario. In other words, the environment in which the IC is operating can’t get the … [Read more...]

  Develop 3D is a UK based Magazine and Website focussing on the technologies involved in product design. The latest copy had a fascinating article on Dell’s Precision Workstation labs. This blog is being written on a Precision M4500 which I’ve lugged around countless airports and dumped, wearily, on numerous hotel beds. The fact that it works as well now as when I … [Read more...]