1

Running Head
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTERS



Airflow Design in Computing Systems:
Active and Passive Ventilation Sites
Jarrod Rowlette
Waxahachie Global High School

2
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING
Table of Contents
Title Page.1
Table of Contents.2
Abstract3
Paper4
Figure 1: Airflow.5
Figure 2: Exploded View of Lanboy...6
Appendix A (List of Abbreviations and Meanings)9
References.11
















3
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING


Abstract
Most modern desktop computers contain heat-sensitive materials, such as the motherboard, CPU,
GPU, HDD, and SSD (Appendix A). Air is cycled through constantly and expelled to keep a
cooler radiation medium inside the case at all times. Fans transfer air in and out, usually with
separate sides for exhaust and intake. The PSU also transfers heat through the case and within its
own case. Airflow in this system is described as positive and negative. Positive airflow
means more air is entering the case than is actively leaving. Negative airflow is when the case
has a lower pressure inside and more air is being removed than inserted. Positive airflow is
desired, as there are more molecules inside the case to have heat transferred to. Negative airflow
also increases noise from the fans, which is very undesirable. There is a ratio in the surface area
of the case that creates a higher airflow pressure inwards (Auclair, 2005). Passive air vents
relieve some exhaust and pressure, but within the case, these holes can reduce the airflow down
to neutral, which is the worst for temperature. This paper shows the approximate ratio for passive
ventilation, and the different types and shapes of fans and cases (L. Elliot, Personal
Communication, March 23, 2011) (Jones, 2007).
Keywords: Airflow, Positive, Negative, Ventilation, Temperature












4
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING



Introduction
Airflow cooling is the process by which cool air enters a system, is heated by the internal
portions of the system, and leaves, cooling down the system in the process. Currently, it is the
most efficient method of cooling personal computing devices. Air usually is pulled in by a fan on
the front portion of the case, brought through the case, and expelled through the rear and,
occasionally, the bottom, usually by the exhaust port of the PSU (Auclair, 2005).
Inside the case, there are several components that the air cools, most importantly being
the heat sinks on the motherboard. The Location in which the computer is running must be cool,
the parts manufacturers recommendations averaging between 70 and 76 degrees for a
maximum. More than this can cause inefficient cooling, which can cause damage and fires inside
the case. .(Auclair, 2005).
Airflow- Positive Vs. Negative
To create the airflow, two clusters of fans are attached to the case. A major debate about
these is the efficiency of a series of them in line on two parts of the case and components, or
parallel fans around the sides of the case. Fan series also create larger amounts of noise, which is
considered a large negative in the home computing industry. Parallel fans are quieter, but require
a larger amount of the case be open to support them. Openings on the case are fine, as long as
there is a fan there to regulate the air in it. (L. Elliot, Personal Communication, March 23, 2011)
5
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING

To maintain a positive airflow, the intake fans are generally set at a higher speed than the
exhaust, while the exhaust fans are larger. The lower speed keeps it quiet, while the small, fast
ones arent as noisy as a larger fast one. This cause the exhaust fans to be mounted at the back,
while the front fans are usually decorated, drawing more power for lighting. Case Modders have
developed port systems similar to exhaust pipes in cars to overcome the aesthetic problem, but
that solution is expensive, leaving either a need for a stronger power supply or a lowered intake
port room (Auclair, 2005).
Ventilation
Venting a case is important as well, as passive vents allow for pressure relief in an
optimized positive system. These vents must not be too large in comparison to the active sites, as
too much passive airflow can cause the system to drop to neutral, which is not efficient. One
major distributor, Antec, Released the Lanboy model case, which was recently redesigned
Figure 1: Arirflow
6
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING
because the outside was almost entirely vented (Figure 2). The redesign contains a much smaller
passive section (L. Elliot, Personal Communication, March 23, 2011).

Currently, the vent size must be calculated based on the internal parts, volume, and
internal running pressure. Generally, this is very low when compared to active vent holes. A way
to counteract this problem is to have vent fans set on a lower speed blowing exhaust out the case.
This solution requires a larger power supply, which can generate more heat. This heat becomes
more and more negligible as the wattage increases on the power supply (Auclair, 2005).
Vent holes also create another problem, allowing dust to settle. Filters for the vents have
been designed, but those cause a lower flow speed, especially in passive vents, which requires
more passive vents and more fan noise. Standard maintenance on a home computer has it cleaned
once a year for dust, but the finer a vent, the harder it is to clean, and he more dust piles up
annually.
Vent Size
Figure 2: Exploded
View of Lanboy
7
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING
The average ration on a mid tower case for active to passive vent surface area is about
3:1, but this number varies based on manufacturer and model. Full towers, which generally run
hotter have about a 4:1, and mini towers vary wildly based on shape (L. Elliot, Personal
Communication, March 23, 2011).
Location
Vent location is a key element in cooling. As stated previously, active vents have
designated places created by years of industry standards. Passive cooling is not as restricted, with
all sides being available to it. Most manufacturers keep the passive vents away from the active
ones, because this causes too much airflow neutralization.
The front cannot be used, as it is where data drives and optical drives are housed. The
right side is also unavailable, as that is needed to ground the motherboard. The back contains
active vents, the PSU, and the motherboard outputs, so it is full. Some manufacturers, however,
have placed passive vents in the excess slots for GPUs and optical drives, but this can change
from model to model. This leaves a few options, the bottom, the left, and the top. These are all
equally good for passive sites (Auclair, 2005).
Shape
Shape also varies in cooling arrangements. The most efficient shape for a fully air-cooled
rig is squared-sided on two opposing sides, and equal-sized rectangles on all others. Most other
shapes have been optimized for water cooling the motherboard and CPU, or for having internal
speakers mounted, which drastically increases heat and fan noise.

8
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING
Fans
Fan type is also a factor, as some brands are more efficient or generate more noise than
others. When a fan has well-made bearings, that decreases noise (Jones, 2007). Blade amount
and shape can also make a difference, with more blades requiring more power and generating
more heat. Fewer blades can also require a larger size of blade, causing the same problem. The
best way that manufacturers have combated this is through blade shape (Jones, 2007). The shape
is designed to not create as much drag, while still moving high volumes of air (L. Elliot, Personal
Communication, March 23, 2011).











9
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING

Appendix
Meaning and definitions for different abbreviations within paper
Case- Shell of the computer, organizes and grounds all parts while providing a wind
tunnel effect for cooling
Case Modder- Person who designs and builds custom cases for aesthetics and function
CPU- Central processing unit, used to describe the chip responsible for transmitting data
through the motherboard, also sometimes inaccurately used to describe a complete
desktop computing tower
Full Tower-Refers to case size, generally a higher powered bulkier model of case
designed to hold more parts such as optical drives and data drives
GPU- Graphical Processing Unit, and option motherboard/chip used to process the 3D
rendered objects a computer displays to remove stress from the CPU
HDD- Hard Drive Disk, Peripheral used to store data on magnetic based discs
Mid Tower- Refers to case size, a mid tower being the average size for most home and
office desktops
Mini Tower- Refers to case size, generally a more compact computer, not as capable of
as many functions
PSU- Power Supply Unit, device responsible for the control and distribution of electrical
power from a wall socket to the rest of the devices inside the case.
Rig- Term used to denote an assembled computer, desktop or laptop that is, was, or could
be fully functioning
10
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING
SSD- Solid State Drive, a storage method that works similar to a flash drive for larger
amounts of data, stores less information than traditional Disk Drives, generates more
heat, but is much faster at finding and transferring data to the motherboard.















11
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING

References
"Antec Lanboy Air Review." Overclockers Club. Overclockers Club, 11 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/antec_lanboy_air/>.
Auclair, R. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iceteks.com/articles.php/casecooling/1
Jones, Gareth. "Using fans in series and parallel: performance guidelines." ebmpapst 1 (2007): n.
pag. http://www.ebmpapst-ad.com/media/content/technical_articles/TA_Using-fans-in-series-
and-parallel.pdf. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.










12
AIRFLOW DESIGN IN COMPUTING



Paper Word Count-937
Abstract-210
Graded By: Stephen A.
Current Grade: 85
Personal Communications Citation Style: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/11/
Purdue Owl Style guide for APA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/