Nearly everybody on Earth uses computers these days. Back when it was first invented, very few could envision that the computer could be a practical option in households across the world. But it has been and it will continue to be an indispensable tool for the future. But very few are unaware of how computers actually work. It's very delicate, with many parts performing functions in order for the computer just to work. Perhaps the most important is the computer processor, which is considered to be the "brain" of the computer.
The processor is very small, but is big in its importance to the functioning of a computer. One of the main disadvantages to processors today is that, despite being very efficient, tend to accumulate large amounts of heat, which can hamper functionality and its lifetime. This is not just a problem for computers, but for a lot of different electronic systems. Fortunately, a research team from Chalmers University in Sweden have found a way to dramatically cool down electronic systems by focusing on cooling down the processor.
Essentially, they added a layer of graphene to the "hotspots" on the processor, tiny spots that are the size of one-thousandth of a millimeter in order to cool it down. Graphene has recently been realized as the "miracle material" and could potentially change the future in a lot of different ways. Basically, it's a sheet of pure carbon. It's the thinnest material, an atom thick, the lightest material, the strongest material, and the best conductor of electricity known to man.
According to Johan Liu, who leads the research team, " The normal working temperature in the hotspots we have cooled has ranged from 55 to 115 degrees Celsius. We have been able to reduce this by up to 13 degrees, which not only improves energy efficiency, it also extends the working life of the electronics."
Clearly, this discovery has huge implications for the future, as cooling of electronics is a huge problem. In fact, in 2006, nearly 50 percent of the total electricity used to run data servers went into cooling the systems. This discovery may even be a gateway for other researchers to test other materials that could also potentially cool down electronics in order to make them more efficient.
The processor is very small, but is big in its importance to the functioning of a computer. One of the main disadvantages to processors today is that, despite being very efficient, tend to accumulate large amounts of heat, which can hamper functionality and its lifetime. This is not just a problem for computers, but for a lot of different electronic systems. Fortunately, a research team from Chalmers University in Sweden have found a way to dramatically cool down electronic systems by focusing on cooling down the processor.
Essentially, they added a layer of graphene to the "hotspots" on the processor, tiny spots that are the size of one-thousandth of a millimeter in order to cool it down. Graphene has recently been realized as the "miracle material" and could potentially change the future in a lot of different ways. Basically, it's a sheet of pure carbon. It's the thinnest material, an atom thick, the lightest material, the strongest material, and the best conductor of electricity known to man.
According to Johan Liu, who leads the research team, " The normal working temperature in the hotspots we have cooled has ranged from 55 to 115 degrees Celsius. We have been able to reduce this by up to 13 degrees, which not only improves energy efficiency, it also extends the working life of the electronics."
Clearly, this discovery has huge implications for the future, as cooling of electronics is a huge problem. In fact, in 2006, nearly 50 percent of the total electricity used to run data servers went into cooling the systems. This discovery may even be a gateway for other researchers to test other materials that could also potentially cool down electronics in order to make them more efficient.
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