A repeating cycle in which excessive heat causes more heat until the operation ceases or an explosion occurs. For example, lithium ion batteries have been known to exhibit thermal runaway and explode. In germanium-based bipolar transistors, high temperatures cause current to leak. This, in turn, causes the transistor to heat even more and eventually become unstable or self-destruct. Obviously, after thermal runaway appears in new systems, the product is re-engineered to prevent it.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Green tech expert clarifies data center heat discussion
- Just wanted to pop in a quick update/observation from a reader regarding my "Some like it hot" post the other day. He wanted to clarify my reference to the Arrhenius equation, which I used after the Sun exec I interviewed for the story used it to illustrate what we were...
- Blog posts 2009-01-08
- Don't take your iPhone to a hot yoga class?
- How many iPhone and MacBook users are aware that high temperatures, such as those found in a hot yoga class or in a car on a spring day, could kill their lithium-ion battery? The technology is somewhat temperamental, according to Apple and battery experts. I was intrigued...
- Blog posts 2007-12-25
- Hydrogen power on the go
- Hydrogen power on the goFuel cells used in aircraftSimilar fuel cell technology has been used in manned aircraft!http://www.bizorigin.com/2007/fuel-cell-new-frontiersSodium Hydride?!?Are these guys insane? When you had water to Sodium Hydride you get hydrogen, heat and sodium hydroxide. Yeah, lets just release lots of hydrogen gas combined with heat and leave liquid...
- Discussion threads 2007-07-27
- Combustible cell phone burns California man
- Combustible cell phone burns California manNot releasing the name of the cel phone? What is the justificaiton for it?Hmm ... don't you suppose people who own that brand of phone want and need to know this? It is negligence and the height of arrogance to suppress this information, when...
- Discussion threads 2007-01-16
- Recall may cost Sony up to $430 million
- Recall may cost Sony up to $430 millionPayback for the rootkitSONY got off light for that one. Only seems [i]right[/i] that they pay up [i]some time[/i], even if it's unrelated.No, but maybe payback for Blu-RayFirst, the whole idea of "payback" is silly, anyway. As you stated, the battery issue...
- Discussion threads 2006-08-16
- Phone battery flames injure teen
- Phone battery flames injure teenCell phonesHave become a curse, you can't go anywhere without someone talking about nothing of importance on them. :(Hmmm....It is rediculously irresponsible to sell cell-phones with pyrotechnic batteries. There is also another problem nowdays: don't you think that teens spent WAY TOO MUCH time nowdays...
- Discussion threads 2004-07-02
Neighboring Terms
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