As discussed previously in this section, the measurement of the thermal conductivity is notoriously difficult. The consequence is that, while the measurement accuracy by individual researchers is claimed to be of the order of 2%, laboratories participating in round-robin tests produce results differing from each other by 15% or more [1]. Even the measurement of pure metals is … [Read more...]
Use of junction-to-board thermal resistance in predictive engineering
The readers of "Electronics Cooling" are familiar with the reasons why the junction to ambient thermal resistance [1], JA or RJA, is an inadequate description of the thermal performance of an integrated circuit. Likewise, you realize that vendors cannot continue to state the integrated circuit will work at a specified ambient temperature (55°C, 70°C, 85°C, or 125°C) as device … [Read more...]
Convection and radiation heat loss from a printed circuit board
In last issue's column, a method for calculating the thermal conductivity of a printed circuit board (PCB) was described. Now, we look at a more complicated heat transfer process, namely the loss of heat from the surface of a PCB to the ambient air. This situation is more challenging to describe mathematically since it involves the simultaneous processes of heat spreading by … [Read more...]
Cooling Electronics at High Altitudes Made Easy
Introduction High altitude air cooling has always been somewhat of a mystery to the uninformed. The first reaction to the situation is that there is just not enough air at altitudes greater than six kilometers (20,000 ft). At times this may be true, but many things can be done to improve the cooling and obtain an acceptable design. The most important thing to remember when … [Read more...]
Disk drive reliability and thermal management
Disk drive reliability and thermal management Hard disk drives are electromechanical systems which store information. They are the most complex electronic sub-assembly within a computer. If a microprocessor can qualify as the "heart" of a computer system, a disk drive can qualify as the "brain". Drives store and retrieve data in milliseconds, measured as access and transfer … [Read more...]
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