Computers cooled by jet engines

HP has come up with novel way of keeping high-powered computers cool: model jets.

Its latest Bladesystem servers will use electric-ducted fans (EDFs), originally developed by enthusiasts to power radio-controlled aeroplanes.

The blades spin in a tube which eliminates some of the turbulence that slows down standard products.

Brad Vinson, an engineer with HP’s Industry Standard Server Group claimed the products, called Active Cool Fans, are smaller and consume a third of the power of typical computer fans.

'If you have 10 traditional servers today, we could put 16 servers in the same space,' Vinson said in an interview with MIT’s Technology Review.

With chips getting smaller and more being crammed into smaller chassis, the problem facing businesses with dedicated server rooms is growing.

Vinson explained: 'As recently as the year 2000, the average server consumed on the order of 100 to 150 watts.

'It's now exceeding 400 to 500 watts. And it would not be unusual to have a rack of servers that pulls 15,000 or 20,000 watts - enough to light more than 100 homes.'