Two tiny developments could have massive implications in the rapidly shrinking world of chips and batteries.

In one piece of research released this week researchers demonstrated a new technology using tiny "ionic wind engines" that might dramatically improve computer chip cooling.

Getting rid of excess heat has always been a big problem in developing computing power further. The cooler the chip the faster the processing power. Some die-hards, especially gamers, even supercool their computers using a variety of methods, such as by adding powerful fans or heavy duty heatsinks.

They are a band known as "overclockers", pushing materials to perform past their specifications. Now Purdue University researchers, in work funded by Intel Corp., claim to have shown that their ion blowing technology increased the cooling rate by as much as 250 percent.

The experimental cooling device, which they fabricated on top of a mock computer chip, works by generating ions - or electrically charged atoms - using electrodes placed near one another.

Using the qualities of negative and positively charged ions, voltage was passed through a specially made device that discharged electrons toward the positively charged anode.

Along the way, the electrons collided with air molecules, and producing positively charged ions, which were then attracted back toward the negatively charged electrodes.

The movement created an "ionic wind" that increased the airflow on the surface of the experimental chip.

When used in conjunction with regular fans, the technology can be harnessed to overcome the "no-slip" effect that limits convention cooling methods.

The "no-slip" effect refers to the tendency of air molecules nearest a surface to remain stationary when subjected to air flow, meaning heat is not removed efficiently.

The new approach potentially overcomes the problems by creating airflow immediately adjacent to the chip's surface, the researchers state in their paper. Infrared imaging showed the technology reduced heating from about 60C to about 35C.

They expect the new cooling technology could be introduced in computers within three years if they are able to miniaturise it and make the system rugged enough. As devices become smaller and the number of transistors per chip increase exponentially (check up Moore's Law on the internet), getting rid of excess heat becomes more important.

The new technology could provide the answer that would bring even more powerful and smaller devices into our hands pretty soon. It could also result in thinner laptop computers that run cooler than today's machines.

The research is revealed in a paper that has been accepted for publication in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Applied Physics.

Another corollary to this shrinking technology is the need for smaller and more powerful batteries, a promise held out by a second piece of research that came across my desk yesterday.

This is a nanocomposite device that looks like paper and can generate energy from human blood or sweat. The tiny paper-like base was developed by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It is infused with carbon nanotubes and can be used to create ultra-thin, flexible batteries and energy.

"The nanotubes act as electrodes and allow the storage devices to conduct electricity. The device, engineered to function as both a lithium-ion battery and a supercapacitor, "can provide the long, steady power output comparable to a conventional battery, as well as a supercapacitor's quick burst of high energy," the research stated in describing their discovery.

About 90 percent of the device is made up of cellulose, the same plant cells used in paper production.

The battery is able to function in temperatures up to 300F (149C) and down to -100F (-73C), according to the research paper.

The devices can also be printed like paper, and can function as both a high-energy battery and a high-power supercapacitor.

Another key feature is the capability to use human blood or sweat to help power the battery, they stated.

The details are outlined in the paper "Flexible Energy Storage Devices Based on Nanocomposite Paper" published August 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.