As part of its 2010 roadmap, Murata has revealed a piezoelectric 'fan' only 1.85mm thick.
The 20x20 device produces significant flow [video] and pressure [video] for forced-air cooling in confined spaces.
Inside the valve-less device is a vibrating piezoelectric diaphragm that creates pulses in a small volume of air. The internal geometry is such that these pulses promote unidirectional flow in a larger volume of air that it forced out of a hole in the centre of one side.
Power consumption is "a couple of Watts", sales manger Mike Ball told Electronics Weekly, and the diaphragm is "typically driven by sine wave 15Vp-p".
Ball also said that the oscillator would be built into the product when it is introduced next year.
The blower is expected to be used in consumer, industrial and automotive electronics; particularly for cooling CCD image sensors, LCD backlights and ICs.
The firm has demonstrated the device cooling a DRAM module.
In this application, it is attached flat to the module via a 2.4mm thick plenum that diverts the air through 90° to flow across the module surface.
US firm Nuventix has developed a different form of oscillating diaphragm blower, which also lists LED cooling amongst its applications.
