Noctua has partnered with ForcedPhysics DCT to explore the possibilities of using the unusual JouleForce cooling system in desktop computers and workstations. The technology uses an array of microchannels and, according to the developers, can remove more than 2,000 watts of heat using only air, eliminating the need for the usual water loops, pumps and heat sinks.
JouleForce is called the “third cooling method.” Unlike conventional coolers with fins, the geometry is specifically created within a dense array of microchannels where there is virtually no air boundary layer forming that would normally interfere with efficient heat transfer. Therefore, heat is carried away along the entire length of the channel.
However, there are serious problems with using this technology in ordinary computers. Microchannels create very high resistance to airflow – pressure drops that are an order of magnitude or more higher than the capabilities of standard axial fans. Currently, JouleForce requires industrial blowers, powerful centrifugal fans and even vacuum pumps to operate – which is exactly the problem Noctua sets out to solve
