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It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane: Flow Patterns around an Oscillating Piezoelectric Fan Blade
Akshat Agarwal, Nokia Bell Labs, IrelandAs electronics grow smaller and smaller and are used for extensive periods of time, their internal heat loads are greater and demand new compact cooling methods. Piezoelectric fans, a stepping stone between natural and forced convection, are one attractive option due to their low energy requirements. Engineers at Nokia Bell Labs are using multiphysics simulation to capture the interplay between an oscillating piezoelectric fan and the surrounding airflow in the pursuit of a quiet, reliable, and low-energy cooling solution.
Simulation of an oscillating piezoelectric fan showing the vorticity (surface plot) and velocity field (vector plot) of the airflow.
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