Put air, mini, or ultra-thin before or after the name of your product and you instantly get that “marketable” value. Apple and Samsung know this strategy so well they have been rampantly launching series of minis and airs. The innate love of humanity for barely-there gadgets is driving manufacturers to continuously work on technologies that will make tablets and smartphones smaller and tinier. This triggered General Electric (GE) to shrink their jet engine technology to fit into the some-millimeters trend.

Chris Giovanniello, VP Microelectronics & Thermal Business Development at GE Licensing, shared a parallel insight and briefly explained the technology behind the product:

“With new tablet and netbook roadmaps moving to platforms measuring less than 6mm high, it is clear that consumers are demanding thinner and more powerful electronic devices. GE’s patented DCJ technology not only frees up precious space for system designers, but it consumes significantly less power, allowing as much as 30 minutes of extra battery life. Best of all, DCJ can be made so quiet that users won’t even know it’s running. Thermal management is becoming a big problem for many companies trying to miniaturize their electronics, and as a result we are getting strong demand to evaluate the DCJ technology in many markets, from consumer electronics, to automotive, to telecom and industrial sectors.”

Dual Piezoelectric Cooling Jets or DCJ is what this GE technology is called. It is responsible for improving and calming turbulent air flow through the mighty engines of military fighter jets. Imagine that shrinking into tiny bit to be place onto the motherboard. The size of the cooling solution for next-gen laptops and tablets are comparable to a credit card.

DCJ will not only delve into the thin feature; it also supports quieter and more powerful tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices. The technology is so quiet a user will never know it is running. Battery life will likewise be boosted to more than 50% since it uses a mere half the power of an equivalent fan. The empirical structure of the DCJs is also expected to deliver high reliability leading to millions of dollars in OEM savings from repairs.

“DCJ was developed as an innovative way to dramatically reduce the amount of pressure losses and loading characteristics in aircraft engines and power generation in gas and wind turbines,” said Peter de Bock, lead Electronics Cooling Researcher at GE Global Research. “Over the past 18 months we have addressed many challenges adapting this technology in areas of acoustics, vibration, and power consumption such that the DCJ can now be considered as an optimal cooling solution for ultra-thin consumer electronics products.”

GE is looking to introduce this cooling solution in the market within the next couple of years. The scientists will still conduct series of extensive tests and studies to perfect the product.