# US 2013/0153199 A1 · Performance and noise control for a heat sink air mover > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153199 A1 - Document ID: US20130153199A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/325,198 - Filed: 2011-12-14 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-14 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Diane S. Busch; Michael S. June; Mark E. Steinke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153199A1 ## CPC - F28F 27/00: Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus (control arrangements in general G05) - F28F 13/16: by applying an electrostatic field to the body of the heat-exchange medium - H10W 40/43: by flowing gases, e.g. forced air cooling - F28D 2021/0029: {Heat sinks} - F28F 2250/00: Arrangements for modifying the flow of the heat exchange media, e.g. flow guiding means; Particular flow patterns - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## Abstract A system and method for cooling a heat-generating device. The system comprises a heat sink base for contacting the heat-generating device, and a plurality of heat sink fins extending from the heat sink base, wherein the fins provide airflow passages that are open along a top, a first side and a second side. An ionic air moving device is disposed along at least one side of the heat sink for moving air through the airflow passages, and a fan is mounted adjacent to the top of the fins for moving air through the airflow passages. A controller selectively controls the airflow through the heat sink using only the ionic device, only the fan, or both the ionic device and the fan. A user or a system component may instruct the controller to enter a performance mode, an energy efficiency mode, or an acoustic mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for cooling a heat-generating device, comprising: a heat sink base for contacting the heat-generating device; a plurality of heat sink fins extending from the heat sink base, wherein the fins provide airflow passages that are open along a top, a first side and a second side; an ionic device disposed along at least one side of the heat sink for moving air through the airflow passages; a fan mounted adjacent to the distal end of the fins for moving air through the airflow passages; and a controller configured to selectively control the airflow through the heat sink using only the ionic device, only the fan, or both the ionic device and the fan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fan is disposed along the top of the heat sink. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the fan pushes air into the airflow passages from the top of the fins and the air exits the airflow passages at the first and second sides. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fan draws the air out of the airflow passages at the top of the fins and air enters the airflow passages at the first and second sides. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor coupled to the heat sink base, wherein the temperature sensor provides a temperature signal to the controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the controller includes a control circuit dedicated to the operation of the fan and ionic device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the heat-generating device is a processor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the processor and the heat sink are provided on an expansion card. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is a service processor in communication with the processor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the service processor is selected from a baseboard management processor and an integrated management module. ### Claim 11 A method of cooling a heat-generating device, comprising: inducing airflow through a heat sink from a first side of the heat sink to a second side of the heat sink using an ionic device, wherein the heat sink has a base in thermal communication with the heat-generating device and a plurality of heat sink fins extending from the heat sink base, wherein the fins provide airflow passages that are open along a top and between the first and second sides; inducing airflow through the top of the heat sink using a fan; and selectively controlling the airflow using only the ionic device, only the fan, or both the ionic device and the fan. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: in response to input received from a user or system controller selecting a performance mode, inducing airflow through the heat sink using only the fan. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: in response to input received from a user or system controller selecting an energy efficiency mode, inducing airflow through the heat sink using the ionic device up to a setpoint condition and using the fan above the setpoint condition. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the setpoint condition is selected from a temperature setpoint, an energy setpoint, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the heat generating device is a processor, the temperature setpoint is a processor temperature setpoint, and the energy setpoint is a processor energy consumption setpoint. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: in response to input received from a user or system controller selecting an acoustic mode, inducing airflow through the heat sink using only the ionic device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the heat-generating device is a processor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: in response to the processor reaching a temperature exceeding a processor temperature setpoint while in the acoustic mode, continuing to induce airflow through the heat sink using only the ionic device and throttling a processor speed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the fan induces airflow into the heat sink through the top of the heat sink and out the first and second sides of the heat sink. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the fan induces airflow into the heat sink through the first and second sides of the heat sink and out the top of the heat sink.