{ "version": "1.0.0", "segments": [ { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "0", "endTime": "5.64", "body": "Where I live now, there are no ceiling fans, so getting the air circulating can be a bit tough." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "6.5", "endTime": "11.86", "body": "I wanted some sort of fan I could put in the window, and it would act as some sort of exhaust fan," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "12.1", "endTime": "15.82", "body": "as in blowing the air outward, creating negative pressure inside." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "16.94", "endTime": "24.94", "body": "Then, I would have another window open somewhere else, and since that would be the easiest place to pull from, fresh air would come rushing in." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "25.5", "endTime": "30.94", "body": "If you're asking yourself, why is Josh doing this, I had purchased an air quality monitor," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "31.18", "endTime": "35.32", "body": "and I noticed the CO2 levels were getting high, and I wanted to keep them lower." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "36.28", "endTime": "40.74", "body": "Air quality is a tangent for another time, but that's why I was doing it." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "41.28", "endTime": "46.38", "body": "So I did some searching, and there were some pre-made fans that you could buy and stick them in a window," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "46.68", "endTime": "48.58", "body": "but they just didn't move enough air." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "49.54", "endTime": "53.8", "body": "Then I stumbled across one on a blog that had one built out of computer fans." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "53.8", "endTime": "59.82", "body": "Essentially, you take six 120mm computer fans, you get two..." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "59.82", "endTime": "59.9", "body": "...new shh!" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "59.9", "endTime": "59.92", "body": "..." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "60", "endTime": "65.4", "body": "strips of C-channel, which is a long metal strip bent at a 90 degree angle, creating an L," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "65.58", "endTime": "70.74", "body": "but it's called C-channel, and you attach the fans between the C-channel so you end up with" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "70.74", "endTime": "76.86", "body": "a row of fans stuck together. You then wire the fans together, connect them to a motor speed" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "76.86", "endTime": "82.62", "body": "controller, and then you wire that to a wall power supply. Depending on the fans you use," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "82.82", "endTime": "87.88", "body": "you end up with something that can move around 500 to 600 cubic feet of air per minute," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "87.88", "endTime": "94.66", "body": "which is impressive. It means you can turn over the air in a home pretty quick. And why this random" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "94.66", "endTime": "100.24", "body": "story? Because while I'm using computer fans to cycle fresh air, they are also used to keep" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "100.24", "endTime": "106.24", "body": "computers cool. If you are listening to this on a laptop or desktop computer, then you might hear" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "106.24", "endTime": "112.84", "body": "a fan spinning now. The piece of your computer that keeps it from overheating on this episode of In The" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "112.84", "endTime": "119.92", "body": "C-channel. The wrong thing to do is just go out and buy a computer and then learn about it. You" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "120", "endTime": "124.88", "body": "learn, but you'll learn a lot of things that maybe you didn't want to learn. A computer that you buy" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "124.88", "endTime": "130.92", "body": "today will likely be obsolete six months from now, and there's not a dang thing that you can do about" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "130.92", "endTime": "139.2", "body": "it. My name is Josh, and I'm able to keep this podcast independent and advertisement free because" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "139.2", "endTime": "144.46", "body": "of support from listeners like you. If you are finding value in what I'm doing here, consider" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "144.46", "endTime": "151.26", "body": "becoming a paid supporter at members.sideofburritos.com. And as a thank you, members get early" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "151.26", "endTime": "157.38", "body": "access to new videos, ad-free versions of everything, bonus content, and access to a live" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "157.38", "endTime": "164.8", "body": "monthly Q&A. Thanks for considering. Now let's get back to the show. Electronic components naturally" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "164.8", "endTime": "170.6", "body": "generate heat when in use. As electric current flows through circuits, the electrical energy is" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "170.6", "endTime": "176.64", "body": "partially converted into heat due to resistance in the materials. Moving electrons collide with" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "176.64", "endTime": "179.92", "body": "atoms in the conductor, causing the atoms to vibrate fast." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "180", "endTime": "186.96", "body": "that vibration is released as heat. This phenomenon is known as joule heating. The" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "186.96", "endTime": "191.58", "body": "higher the current draw or the greater the resistance in a component, the more heat gets" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "191.58", "endTime": "198.28", "body": "produced. This waste heat isn't just a trivial byproduct. If it isn't managed, it can reduce" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "198.28", "endTime": "205.24", "body": "performance or even damage the device. Even tiny microchips can get surprisingly hot due to the" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "205.24", "endTime": "211.34", "body": "dense maze of transistors inside them, so managing heat is a critical part of electronics design." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "212.24", "endTime": "217.98", "body": "Engineers must use cooling mechanisms to carry excess heat away, ensuring devices run efficiently" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "217.98", "endTime": "225.24", "body": "and don't overheat or throttle their performance. In desktop and laptop PCs, the most common cooling" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "225.24", "endTime": "232.04", "body": "method is air cooling, which uses metal heat sinks attached to hot components and fans to move air." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "232.04", "endTime": "238.44", "body": "You can think of a heat sink as a car's radiator. Just as a radiator draws heat away from the car's" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "238.44", "endTime": "239.92", "body": "engine, a heat sink..." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "240", "endTime": "241.84", "body": "draws heat away from the computer's processor." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "242.88", "endTime": "247.1", "body": "The heat sink is usually made from a thermally conductive material like aluminum or copper" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "247.88", "endTime": "251.14", "body": "and has many thin fins to increase surface area." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "252.52", "endTime": "255.42", "body": "Heat from the CPU or GPU flows into these fins." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "255.94", "endTime": "261.42", "body": "A fan attached to the heat sink then blows air through the fins, carrying the heat away" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "261.42", "endTime": "264.24", "body": "into the case air and ultimately out of the computer." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "264.24", "endTime": "269.7", "body": "This combination of a finned heat sink and fan is simple but very effective." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "270.94", "endTime": "273.86", "body": "Most computer cases are built with multiple fans." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "274.48", "endTime": "280.06", "body": "Typically, cooler air is pulled from the front or bottom and warmer air is expelled at the" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "280.06", "endTime": "280.82", "body": "back or top." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "282.14", "endTime": "287.08", "body": "This airflow carries heat away from components like the CPU, GPU, and power supply." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "288.16", "endTime": "292.9", "body": "Keeping the inside of the case free of dust and arranging cables neatly can further improve" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "292.9", "endTime": "293.72", "body": "air circulation." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "295.38", "endTime": "299.9", "body": "For more demanding systems or enthusiasts aiming to lower temperature and quieter operations," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "300", "endTime": "307.24", "body": "liquid cooling is a popular step up. Liquid cooling, often using water or special coolant" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "307.24", "endTime": "312.42", "body": "fluids, can absorb and transfer heat more efficiently than air because water has a high" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "312.42", "endTime": "318.5", "body": "thermal conductivity. The basic idea is similar to a car's cooling system. A pump circulates" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "318.5", "endTime": "323.9", "body": "coolant through tubes to components and then out to a radiator, where fans dissipate the heat" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "323.9", "endTime": "330.9", "body": "into the air. In a PC, a water block, which is a specialized metal plate with internal channels," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "331.16", "endTime": "337.02", "body": "is attached to the hot components. The coolant flows through the block, picking up heat from the CPU," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "337.32", "endTime": "342.68", "body": "and then travels to a radiator, mounted usually on the case wall, where fans cool down the liquid." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "343.7", "endTime": "349.84", "body": "The cooled liquid then loops back to the block in a continuous cycle. This method can carry away" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "349.84", "endTime": "356.08", "body": "a lot of heat quickly and often allows high performance CPUs and GPUs to run cooler under" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "356.08", "endTime": "359.92", "body": "heavy load compared to air cooling. For those who really" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "360", "endTime": "365.24", "body": "want to get creative or just have fun tinkering, there are also some extreme cooling methods out" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "365.24", "endTime": "372.42", "body": "there. One famous example is submerging an entire PC's components into mineral oil. Mineral oil is" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "372.42", "endTime": "377.86", "body": "a clear, non-conductive liquid, meaning electronics can run while fully submerged in it without" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "377.86", "endTime": "384.84", "body": "shorting out. In a typical setup, the motherboard and other components, except drives, are placed" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "384.84", "endTime": "391.78", "body": "inside a glass tank filled with purified mineral oil, almost like an aquarium for your PC. As the" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "391.78", "endTime": "396.94", "body": "computer runs, heat spreads into the oil, which gently convects the warmth away from the components." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "397.4", "endTime": "402.94", "body": "To get rid of the heat continuously, the oil is often pumped through a radiator, just like with" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "402.94", "endTime": "409.06", "body": "water cooling, to transfer the heat to the air outside the tank. The submersion technique is mostly" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "409.06", "endTime": "414.36", "body": "a DIY novelty and conversation piece, rather than a practical everyday solution." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "415.56", "endTime": "419.54", "body": "Now when it comes to cooling a smartphone or tablet, it's a whole different challenge." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "420", "endTime": "429.48", "body": "Unlike a roomy PC tower, a phone has no space for bulky heatsinks or fans, which means that mobile devices rely almost entirely on passive cooling." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "430.2", "endTime": "437.28", "body": "This means smartphones must dissipate heat using internal design and materials without any fans blowing inside." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "438.1", "endTime": "441.6", "body": "Essentially, the phone's structure itself acts as a heatsink." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "442.1", "endTime": "448", "body": "You might have noticed this when you're doing something intensive on your phone and the device begins to feel warmer in your hand." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "448", "endTime": "458.3", "body": "The heat generated by the CPU, GPU, and other components is spread out and conducted to the phone's outer casing or other internal layers where it can radiate away safely." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "459.56", "endTime": "468.42", "body": "Manufacturers use techniques like metal frames, graphite sheets, thermal paste, and tiny heat pipes or vapor chambers to channel heat away from the chips." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "469.36", "endTime": "476.76", "body": "Even with these clever, passive cooling methods, mobile devices have built-in safety mechanisms for when things get too hot." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "476.76", "endTime": "479.46", "body": "If you've ever noticed your phone getting very warm..." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "479.46", "endTime": "479.92", "body": "..." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "480", "endTime": "483.78", "body": "and then seeming to slow down, dim its screen, or go into dark mode," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "483.96", "endTime": "486.14", "body": "that's likely thermal throttling in action." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "486.8", "endTime": "489.74", "body": "When the internal temperature crosses a certain threshold," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "490.14", "endTime": "493.52", "body": "the phone software will automatically dial back the CPU's speed," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "493.54", "endTime": "496.88", "body": "and sometimes other features, to reduce heat generation." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "497.8", "endTime": "500.86", "body": "Now imagine scaling things up from a single PC" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "500.86", "endTime": "503.98", "body": "to hundreds or thousands of computers packed together," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "504.16", "endTime": "507.3", "body": "and that's what happens in server rooms and data centers." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "508.16", "endTime": "512.02", "body": "These facilities are the backbone of the internet and cloud services," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "512.28", "endTime": "516.36", "body": "filled with racks upon racks of servers running 24-7." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "517.04", "endTime": "522.12", "body": "All those servers running non-stop means a lot of heat is being generated in one place." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "522.72", "endTime": "526.96", "body": "Traditional data centers use massive air conditioning and ventilation systems" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "526.96", "endTime": "531.48", "body": "to keep temperatures in check, but they also employ clever layout strategies." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "532.52", "endTime": "535.5", "body": "A common approach is hot aisle, cold aisle containment." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "536.6", "endTime": "539.58", "body": "Servers are arranged in a row so that the fronts of the servers" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "539.58", "endTime": "539.6", "body": "可以 Lots of headquarters cells be added in a row so that the nodes are boiling out of the VOC system that releases all minus sizeOU from 3-7%" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "539.6", "endTime": "539.92", "body": "And so it looks tough, but it does notピned with four-8% lower than any dataж" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "540", "endTime": "543.26", "body": "which draw in cool air, all face each other across an aisle," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "543.42", "endTime": "548.78", "body": "and then the backs of the servers, where hot air blows out, face each other on a different aisle." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "549.46", "endTime": "554.86", "body": "By separating the cold aisle, the intake side, from the hot aisle, the exhaust side," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "555.08", "endTime": "559.38", "body": "with physical barriers or partitions, the hot air coming out of the server" }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "559.38", "endTime": "562.86", "body": "is contained and directed away to AC return vents," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "563.02", "endTime": "567.32", "body": "while the cold air from the AC is delivered directly to the server's intakes." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "568.24", "endTime": "572.5", "body": "When arranged this way, the hot and cold air don't immediately mix," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "572.84", "endTime": "574.82", "body": "making cooling much more efficient." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "576.82", "endTime": "582.84", "body": "All computing devices, whether it's your smartphone, your gaming PC, or a giant cloud server," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "583.18", "endTime": "586.12", "body": "all face the same basic battle against heat." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "587.88", "endTime": "593.88", "body": "In the Shell is written, researched, and recorded by me, the fan-cooled podcaster." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "595.62", "endTime": "599.92", "body": "If you are listening in an app that lets you rate shows, please take a minute to rate this one." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "600.7", "endTime": "602.32", "body": "I would truly appreciate it." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "603.96", "endTime": "606.44", "body": "The other day I was cleaning out the fans on my computer," }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "606.94", "endTime": "611.4", "body": "and I found a spider inside it. I guess it was trying to make a website." }, { "speaker": "Josh", "startTime": "612.68", "endTime": "615.3", "body": "That's it. Take care, and I'll see you next time." } ] }