active cooling

Powered heat removal

Active cooling uses energy-consuming mechanisms—fans, pumps, compressors—to remove heat from a system.

Computers, refrigerators, and air conditioners all employ active cooling.

The term distinguishes these methods from passive cooling, which relies on natural processes like convection or radiation without powered components: The server room switched from passive to active cooling when temperatures spiked.

fanAdmirer or air mover
fan speedRate of blade rotation
heatsinkPassive heat dispersal device
thermal pasteConductive cooling interface material
heat pipeSealed tube transferring thermal energy

airflow · thermal · refrigerant · compressor · liquid · radiator · heat exchanger · ventilation · CPU · overclocking · exhaust · duct · thermoelectric · heat · dissipation · blower · circulation · pump

Opposites

cooling mechanism type

active coolingpassive cooling

Temperature control without power

natural convection · natural ventilation · heat sinks · thermal radiation

thermal management approach

active coolingheating

Raising temperature artificially

thermal insulation · heat retention · warming

Family

active, cooling, act, action, actions, actor, actors, actress, activate

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G