Heat Sink
View animation - 334 Kb
Description
Behavioral Modeling is applied in this example to a heat sink design from Cooler Master Co. Ltd., a Taiwan based company that designs PC cooling systems. The heat sink is used to dissipate heat from small electronic components and motors to avoid damage.
The design goal is to maximize surface area of the heat sink to achieve the highest heat dissipation possible within fin design and weight constraints. To accommodate manufacture of the stock material, the ratio between the fin height and the base thickness must not exceed a specified value. Additionally, weight of the heat sink must not exceed a budgeted value.
A sensitivity study is performed first to determine the effect that fin height has on surface area. Fin height is varied between 0.25 and 2.0 inches, and the corresponding relationship with surface area is provided. A feasibility study is then performed to determine the design with maximize surface area within the budgeted weight requirement.
