Apple has filed for four, cooling related patents, one of which describe using the USB and FireWire ports on a portable Mac as cooling vents.
This would allow ports (that are not in use) to be used as vents to cool the inside of the computer. This also allows less vents on other places on the computer. However, if the ports are in use, this can cut off vital air flow to the computer.
Another patent describers a chip sensing airflow and making adjustments automatically. The third patent shows off using heat-conductive hinge assemblies. The last, uses the Peltier effect which is:
defines when an electrical current runs through the junction of two different metals. When electrons flow from a region of high density to a lower one, it allows them to cool. The application describes a “solid-state cooling mechanism” that would employ two sides to transfer heat away from the machine and help dissipate it.
This would allow the computer to be cooler, without the need of more fans.
