Computer thermal system

A thermal management system for removing heat from a desktop computer that includes a housing having a longitudinal axis and that at least partially defines and encloses an internal volume that is symmetric about the longitudinal axis, comprising:

• a heat sink positioned within the internal volume, comprising:
• a plurality of planar faces that define a central airflow region having a cross section in a shape of a polygon that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, at least one of the plurality of planar faces comprising:
• an interior surface integrally formed with a cooling fin that extends from the interior surface and spans the central airflow region to an interior surface of at least another one of the plurality of planar faces, and
• an exterior surface configured to carry a computational component in thermal contact with the heat sink.

A heat removal system for a computing device enclosed within a cylindrical housing, the heat removal system comprising:

• a plurality of vents configured to receive an intake airflow in accordance with a pressure differential across the plurality of vents and to direct the intake airflow along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing, wherein the plurality of air vents is disposed at a first end of the cylindrical housing;
• a baffles arrangement disposed between the plurality of vents and the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing, the baffles arrangement configured to bifurcate the intake airflow into a central airflow and a peripheral airflow, the central airflow directed towards a central portion of the computing device and the peripheral airflow directed towards a peripheral portion of the computing device;
• and
• an air exhaust system disposed at a second end of the cylindrical housing opposite the first end, the air exhaust system configured to receive and combine the central airflow with the peripheral airflow, and to exhaust the combined airflow through an opening in the cylindrical housing at the second end.

A method for removing heat generated by a computational component disposed within an air passage enclosed and defined by a cylindrical housing having a longitudinal axis and having a first opening at a first end of the longitudinal axis and a second opening at a second end of the longitudinal axis aligned with and opposite the first end, the method comprising:

• pulling an intake airflow into the air passage through an air intake at the first opening by an air mover located near the second opening;
• splitting the intake airflow by an air splitter located between the longitudinal axis and the air intake into a central airflow that passes through a central portion of the air passage and a peripheral airflow that concurrently passes through a peripheral portion of the air passage separate from the central portion of the air passage, wherein the computational component transfers at least some heat to the central airflow and the peripheral airflow;
• combining the central airflow and the peripheral airflow into an exhaust airflow by the air mover;
• and
• pushing the exhaust airflow out of the housing through the second opening.