Carbon fiber laminate piezoelectric cooler and method therefor

1. An apparatus comprising:

an array of fins, each fin formed at a surface of a heat conducting material, at least three sides of each fin defined by a machined opening extending into a major surface of the material, a base of each fin remaining rooted in the material; and

a piezoelectric transducer bonded to the heat conducting material adjacent to the array of fins, the fins to vibrate in response to and in sympathy with vibration of the piezoelectric transducer, vibration of the transducer in response to being energized by a signal having a first frequency.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the opening descends at an acute angle relative to the first major surface of the heat conducting material; and

the fin defined by the opening is manipulated during manufacture in a direction that is perpendicular to the major surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a first fin of the array of fins is manipulated to be perpendicular to the major surface of the heat conducting material, and a second fin of the array adjacent to the first fin is manipulated to be less than perpendicular to the major surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first and second fins being non-parallel stimulate air flow by creating localized regions of non-uniform air pressure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller including a signal generator coupled to the piezoelectric element, the controller to control the piezoelectric transducer to excite sympathetic vibration of each fin of the array.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an airflow sensor; and

a controller coupled to the piezoelectric transducer, the controller to regulate operation of the piezoelectric transducer based on information provided by the airflow sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory device to store a cooling profile associating an operating configuration of the piezoelectric transducer with a first application program executing at the information handling system; and

a controller coupled to the piezoelectric transducer and to the memory device, the controller to regulate operation of the piezoelectric transducer based on the cooling profile.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat conducting material is a carbon fiber composite.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric transducer is a discrete component in proximity to the array of fins and not in intimate contact with any fin of the array of fins.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat conducting material is aluminum bonded to a carbon fiber composite.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of fins extend in one direction parallel with the major surface of the heat conducting material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein fins of the array of fins extend in two directions parallel with the major surface of the heat conducting material.

13. A method comprising:

machining openings at a heat conducting material to define at least three side portions of each fin of an array of fins, the openings extending into a major surface of the material, a base of each fin remaining rooted in the material;

providing a piezoelectric transducer bonded to the heat conducting material, the transducer adjacent to the array of fins, the piezoelectric transducer being a discrete component that is not in intimate contact with any fin of the array of fins; and

providing a controller including a signal generator coupled to the piezoelectric transducer, a signal provided by the signal generator causing the piezoelectric transducer to vibrate and excite sympathetic vibration of each fin.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

manipulating a first fin of the array to be perpendicular to the major surface of the heat conducting material; and

manipulating a second fin of the array adjacent to the first fin to be less than perpendicular to the major surface, wherein the first and second fins being non-parallel stimulate air flow by creating localized regions of non-uniform air pressure.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to regulate operation of the piezoelectric transducer based on vibration information provided by a vibration sensor located adjacent to the array of fins.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to regulate operation of the piezoelectric transducer based on a cooling profile associating an operating configuration of the piezoelectric transducer with a first application program executing at an information handling system including the array of fins.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of fins is included at an exhaust vent of an information handling system.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of fins is included at an intake vent of an information handling system.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of fins are included at a heat sink coupled to a heat generating component at an information handling system.

20. An information handling system comprising:

an array of fins, each fin formed at a surface of a heat conducting material, at least three sides of each fin defined by a machined opening extending into a major surface of the material, a base of each fin remaining rooted in the material; and

a piezoelectric transducer bonded to the heat conducting material adjacent to the array of fins, the fins to vibrate in response to and in sympathy with the piezoelectric transducer when the transducer is energized by a signal having a first frequency, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is not in intimate contact with any fin of the array of fins.