Avionic Housing Composite Plate with Sewn Metal Heatsinks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft avionic equipment housings face challenges in effectively dissipating heat in increasingly severe thermal and vibrational environments while minimizing mass and bulk, and preventing vibration transmission to electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A housing for avionic equipment featuring a composite material plate with heatsinks made of high thermal conductivity metal alloys, assembled using organic or metallic fibers for efficient heat dissipation and mechanical strength, while avoiding galvanic corrosion through conductive protection layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If metal heatsinks are used for heat dissipation, then thermal conductivity is improved, but mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining metal heatsinks with a polymer matrix composite plate. The heatsinks are made of aluminum or copper alloys for high thermal conductivity, while the plate uses fiber-reinforced polymer composites to reduce mass. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by allowing efficient heat dissipation through the metal heatsinks while the polymer matrix provides lightweight structural support, achieving both thermal performance and mass reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes material parameters by selecting specific metal alloys with thermal conductivity ≥120 W/m/K (such as aluminum alloy 6061-T6 or copper alloys) and optimizing their geometry. The heatsinks are designed with specific thickness (3-5 mm) and height (4-20 mm) parameters to achieve adequate heat dissipation with minimized mass, directly addressing the thermal conductivity versus mass contradiction.
2Strength
If plate thickness is increased for mechanical strength, then structural rigidity is improved, but volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite materials for the plate, which provide high mechanical strength-to-volume ratio. The fibrous reinforcement (such as carbon fibers or glass fibers) embedded in the polymer matrix creates a composite structure that achieves required mechanical strength with reduced plate thickness compared to conventional metal plates, thereby reducing overall housing volume while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by reinforcing specific areas of the plate where mechanical strength is most needed, rather than uniformly increasing plate thickness throughout. The composite material structure allows for optimized fiber orientation and density in different regions, providing localized strength enhancement without increasing overall volume.
3Temperature
If heatsinks are attached to the plate, then heat dissipation is improved, but vibration transmission to electronics increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary polymer matrix composite material between the metal heatsinks and the plate structure. This composite material acts as a vibration-damping intermediary that decouples the rigid metal heatsinks from the structural plate, reducing vibration transmission to the electronics while maintaining thermal contact. The polymer matrix provides vibration isolation properties that the pure metal structure would not offer.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of composite materials with inherent vibration-damping characteristics helps isolate the electronics from vibrations generated by the heatsinks during operation. The fibrous reinforcement and polymer matrix combination provides excellent vibration damping, reducing the transmission of mechanical vibrations to the electronic components while allowing efficient heat transfer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables effective heat dissipation and reduced mass, maintaining mechanical strength and preventing vibration transmission, thus addressing the need for efficient thermal management in avionic equipment.
Implementation Method 1
the heatsinks are made of a metal alloy having a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 120 W/m/K
Implementation Method 2
a conductive protection layer is applied to a surface of the heatsinks which is in contact with the assembly fibers to avoid galvanic corrosion phenomena
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a housing for aircraft avionic equipment including a plate to the surface of which heatsinks are connected. The plate is made of composite, that includes a fibrous reinforcement densified by a polymer matrix; the heatsinks are in a metal alloy having a thermal conductivity higher than or equal to 120 W/m/K; and the heat sinks are assembled with the plate by sewing or knitting using assembling fibres made of organic material or metal.