In this study, the characteristics of the three-dimensional heat and fluid flow fields generated by the vibrating fan are examined by performing numerical simulations and experimental measurements. This paper considers two different arrangements of the heat source, namely vertical and horizontal. In performing the simulations, the fluid domain is meshed using a dynamic meshing scheme in order to take account of the time-varying shape and position of the vibrating blade. The results show that the interaction between the normal force exerted on the air surrounding the moving blade and the impingement jet flow produced at the blade tip prompts the formation of two counter-rotating screw-type flow circulations on either edge of the blade. An infrared thermal camera is used to measure the temperature distribution on the heated surface to examine the numerical results. It is indicated that the piezoelectric fan improves the heat transfer coefficient by 1.6-3.4 times when the heat source is vertically arranged and 1.8-3.6 times when the heat source is horizontally arranged. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.