Laptop Cooler
Joel Birdsall
Cooler in use underneath laptop.
Underside of cooler showing air vents and fans.
Summary
The Laptop Cooler is a device built for one thing: to eradicate laptop overheating and it
related issues. With modern technology, the circuitry in laptops is getting more and more
complex every day and the devices are generating more and more heat. This excess heat can
decrease system performance by slowing down processing speeds or causing lock-ups. Also, a
great deal of unwanted heat gets transferred to the user when the laptop is actually used on one’s
lap. This can cause the user’s legs to become sweaty, and create an uncomfortable setting for
using the device in general. There were two main goals for this project. The first was to decrease
the temperature of both the main CPU and exterior surface of the laptop. The second was to
prevent heat from being transferred to the user. The Cooler was to be less than 2 inches tall and
weigh less than 3 pounds. The device should run independently from the laptop, while keeping
the laptop stationary. Overall, the device was to be easy to use and create a more comfortable
setting for usage of a portable computer on one’s lap.
Many products exist today that address the issue of overheating. Most of these designs
are tailored towards usage of the laptop on a desk or other flat surface. Also, many designs are
too thin, restricting the fans ability to optimize air circulation. So, several conceptual ideas had
to be devised to solve this problem. In general, the concepts created utilized rectangular housing
that was to be thicker than the height of the fans that were to be used. An X-shaped cooler and
angle surface cooler were also considered. All of the concepts were generated with the idea of
using fans as the means to circulate air, but the number and placement of these fans varied. All
of the concepts also featured an On/Off switch to increase simplicity. Ideas to keep the laptop
stationary were considered, most of which involved using some kind of rubber material to create
friction between the device and laptop. The designs explored the different options for air
circulation, varying from air being blown from directly under toward the bottom of the laptop,
air being sucked away from the laptop and out the sides.
The final design combined the best ideas from multiple designs while tailoring
specifically towards an HP Pavilion dv6500 laptop. The housing for device was chosen to be
rectangular in form, as to match the basic shape of the laptop and to keep things as simple as
possible. A total of three fans were to be used, which were placed in locations at to optimize
cooling of the laptop. One was placed beneath the laptop’s existing intake fan, another beneath
the processing unit, and lastly another beneath the battery. A 12V rechargeable battery pack was
wired to the fans, which was also wired to a port than an AC to DC converter would be plugged
into. This created a sustainable way to power the device, which runs for about an hour and a half
before requiring a recharge. A switch was also wired to this circuit, which made activating and
deactivating the device simple and quick.
Overall, the device worked extremely well. After and hour and half of runtime, it was
able to decrease the temperature of the main processor by about 16°C while also decreasing the
exterior surface temperature by about 15°C. The results were actually much better than
expected. The Cooler kept within the required dimensions, being just under 2 inches thick, and
being no larger than the size of the laptop. The Cooler held the laptop stationary and while
remaining stationary on a flat surface. It increased comfort levels greatly by keeping the air
away from the user while resting nicely on the user’s lap. Overall, the Laptop Cooler met or
exceeded all but one of the design requirements.