NVIDIA Applies For Patent On New Turbofan For Graphics Cards

It appears that NVIDIA has applied for a patent (US20140133082 A1) on a new GPU cooling fan that looks like it will more than likely be used in combination with the heat sinks of future video cards. The design of this particular turbofan is unique in the sense that it has an inner fan where the drum housing normally resides. This modification appears to improve the cooling possibilities of the design by giving you the benefits of axial fans and a radial fan. This is important to NVIDIA as they are looking to maximize the intake air both vertically and horizontally due to the GPU coolers heatsink fins and the VRM components that normally reside right below or next to the GPU cooler fan. Could we see NVIDIA using a fan like this on Maxwell to lower GPU lower temperatures while have lower acoustics?

Here is the abstract from the patent application:

The present invention provides a turbofan and a graphics card with the turbofan. The turbofan comprises: a turbofan assembly which admits air in an axial direction and dispenses air in a radial direction; an inlet fan assembly disposed at an inlet of the turbofan assembly and disposed coaxially with the turbofan assembly: and a driving means for driving the turbofan assembly and the inlet fan assembly to rotate. The turbofan provided by the invention gathers the ambient air to the inlet through the inlet fan assembly disposed at the inlet of the turbofan assembly, so as to change a negative pressure state at the inlet. Consequently, the cooling efficiency of the turbofan is improved effectively and the noise of the turbofan is reduced.