The practicalities of cooling
In Section 2 we talked about where heat comes from and how it gets out and we have been looking in Section 3 at how we model it, but so far we’ve skated round the fringes of how we actually try to get heat out of the system! In this section we deal with some of the practicalities of removing heat, working our way from the simplest passive methods (adding extra copper or heatsinks) to active methods that get progressively more complex, starting with fans. Our final section considers approaches that can be use for challenging thermal applications.
Each of the concertina sections expands into a webcast, some of which are supplemented by separate case studies. Don’t forget that the way in which the webcasts are presented allows you to see their structure, and move quickly to areas of particular interest. Or you can pause on a slide and look at it in detail. [See this link for how to get the best from the Articulate Presenter format]
Passive methods of thermal management
This webcast looks at the ways in which heat can be managed by improving conduction routes from heat-generating components. The first section deals with appropriate board design, including thermal vias, but the major part of the discussion concerns the different categories of heat sink, and how these are best applied.
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Most products contain interfaces between different materials that add significantly to the thermal path to the exterior, to deal with which a wide and confusing range of Thermal Interface Materials has evolved. In this presentation, narrated by Mike Firmstone of TecKonnect International, developed by him from Lord Corporation data, and originally presented at an IMAPS France seminar in 2006, we start with some thermal basics, before dealing pragmatically with the comparative performance of the different options and how to select the most appropriate solutions for your application.
TecKonnect presentation »Print of presentation storyboard
The majority of thermal challenges for the average designer involve board assemblies and complex equipment, and rarely is it possible to make use of thermally-enhanced substrate materials. But a range of these are available, and come into play particularly with power devices. In this case study, Berquist discuss the issues associated with thermal management for high-power LEDs used for lighting applications.
Bergquist case study »Print of presentation storyboard »
Active methods of thermal management
For most products, thermal management will involve some form of forced convection using fans, and this webcast focuses on the practicalities of choosing and fitting a fan that is appropriate for the application. A final section deals with the enclosure, again looking at the aspects that influence thermal management.
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Improving performance
Simple methods of managing heat, using the board, heat sink and fans, will meet the requirements of many applications, but increasingly enhanced performance is required. This webcast reviews the main technologies that are employed at the “leading edge”.
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SMART Group and EKTN combined to present two seminars at TechnologyWorld08, held in Coventry in November 2008, that were a state-of-the-art review of emerging technologies under the title “Bending the Design Rules”. One of the presentations, by Thomas Ahrens of Fraunhofer ISIT, covered the twin topics of Thermal Package, Module, and PCB Structures for Heat Dissipation, Transfer, and Conduction and Thermal Simulations for Assessment of Defects and Design Variants. This presentation thus covers a range of subjects including thermal modelling, device construction and materials, that are highly relevant to those facing thermal challenges.
Heat Dissipation: a presentation given by Thomas Ahrens of Fraunhofer ISIT »
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