The additive design methodology itself is quite straightforward. It is however highly repetitive. Perform a simulation, identify a maximum temperature location, extend the geometry at that point, if thermal efficiency decreases then repeat. To appreciate and to evolve the approach I began by manually performing a number of the initial steps myself. Solve in FloTHERM, sort … [Read more...]
Organically Grown 3D Printable Heatsinks – Part 3 Smoothing the Edges
The shape of the small piece of geometry that is added so as to successively ‘relieve’ the design determines the overall ‘jaggedness’ of the final geometry. A square section rod can only lead to a stair-stepped representation of angled portions of the shape, at worse resulting in a 41% increase (2/root2) in surface area in those regions. Increase in surface area, thus … [Read more...]
Organically Grown 3D Printable Heatsinks – Part 2 Trunks and Branches
Adrian Bejan’s Constructal Law states: “For a finite-size system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to the imposed currents that flow through it.” This can be seen at play in both animate and inanimate systems, from trees to lighting, from river systems to lungs. Such persistent systems tend to carry something … [Read more...]
Organically Grown 3D Printable Heatsinks – Part 1 A Simple Iterative Procedure
This is what a typical extruded fin heatsink looks like. It’s made of metal and sits on top of IC packages that themselves are soldered to a PCB. It cools those packages by providing an increased air apparent surface area with which to pass on the heat that has been conducted up through it. Its shape (topology) is in most ways set by the manufacturing process used to create it. … [Read more...]
The Electronics Cooling Metaphorical Drinking Game – Part Deux
With Semi-Therm 31 just a week away I thought it would be a good time to expand on the (metaphorical) electronics cooling drinking game. Something extra to add to your enjoyment of a conference presentation, journal paper and especially a press release. Common electronics cooling industry drivers and concepts crop up again and again (well, they would do, they’re … [Read more...]
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