Noctua has announced a long-term partnership with Forced Physics DCT to explore adapting the latter's JouleForce micro-channel cooling technology for desktop PCs and workstations. The collaboration is not tied to any specific product or release date, according to Noctua.
JouleForce is an air-based cooling method that uses densely packed micro-channels to improve heat transfer. Forced Physics says the geometry prevents the boundary layer that normally forms along cooling surfaces, allowing heat to be extracted along the entire length of each channel. The company claims the approach can cool more than 2,000W of thermal energy without a liquid loop.
The main obstacle is pressure drop: the micro-channel arrays currently require an order of magnitude more pressure than conventional PC fans can provide. That means today's implementations rely on industrial blowers, high-speed centrifugal fans, or vacuum pumps. Noctua, known for its PC fans, will investigate ways to lower the pressure requirement or generate the necessary static pressure without making systems excessively loud.
Noctua CEO Roland Mossig said the pressure levels required today come from equipment 'nobody would want on or under their desk,' calling it a demanding long-term engineering task. The companies are in early research and plan to share updates at significant milestones. If the airflow and acoustic challenges are solved, JouleForce could give Noctua a serious advantage in desktop cooling.