Keep Cool – Without a Fan

All computers, whether they are designed for rugged conditions or an office environment, must disperse heat in order to avoid internal damage. Conventional computers – and even some that claim to be rugged – use fans to exhaust unwanted heat. But designs that leverage fans for heat convection run the risk of fan failure, and may become clogged, or are difficult to clean and/or decontaminate.

ARMOR Rugged Mobile Computers use the computer's internal structure itself to transfer heat away from heat-generating components, such as chip sets. Heat is conducted to the unit's housing where it's dissipated into the ambient air. This "heat pipe" approach, where heat-generating components are connected directly to the housing via a path presenting the least thermal resistance, has proven superior to conventional unsealed units that use fans and sealed computers that rely on a heat exchange pocket and a fan.

The elimination of a fan for the purpose of cooling internal components is also critical to ensuring continued function in the presence of water and dust. Air-handling openings found in conventional computers can allow water and dust to enter the computer directly. And air intakes can become blocked with dust, leading to excessive heat within the unit and catastrophic failure. Further, this functionality demands a preventative maintenance program that increases the total cost of ownership.