Boundary Condition Independent Reduced Order Model for Thermal Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal modeling techniques for electronic devices, such as CFD and compact thermal models, are computationally expensive and lack accuracy in capturing transient thermal behavior and multiple heat sources, especially when dealing with complex IC package designs and boundary condition dependencies.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that uses a boundary condition independent reduced order model (BCI-ROM) embedded within a CFD model to accurately predict thermal environments of electronic devices and their surrounding media, allowing for improved thermal behavior simulation and design optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If CFD modelling techniques are used to provide detailed thermal models, then measurement precision and thermal behavior prediction accuracy are improved, but use of energy and computational cost increase dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into discrete heat sources, each modeled with its own thermal resistance network. This segmentation allows the complex thermal system to be broken down into manageable components that can be analyzed independently and then combined, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the computationally intensive CFD mechanical simulation system with an electrical circuit analogy system. By substituting thermal conduction with electrical resistance concepts and heat flow with current flow, the model achieves comparable predictive accuracy with significantly reduced computational energy requirements.
2Productivity
If equivalent thermal circuit models (2R or DELPHI) are used, then productivity and creation time are improved, but measurement precision and ability to handle multiple heat sources deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Each heat-generating component is segmented into its own thermal resistance network with dedicated thermal paths to ambient. This allows multiple heat sources to be modeled simultaneously with appropriate precision, overcoming the single heat source limitation of traditional 2R and DELPHI models while maintaining fast computation speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends traditional two-dimensional thermal resistance networks into three-dimensional volumetric models by incorporating depth dimensions and multiple thermal paths. This dimensional expansion enables accurate representation of complex IC package geometries and multiple heat sources while preserving the computational efficiency of circuit analog models.
3Ease of operation
If traditional CTMs are used, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability to transient analysis and multiple heat sources deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal resistance networks are made dynamic by allowing resistance values to vary with temperature, time, and operating conditions. This enables the model to adapt to transient analysis requirements while maintaining the ease of operation characteristic of steady-state CTMs. The model can switch between steady-state and transient modes as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal thermal modeling framework that can handle both steady-state and transient analyses, single and multiple heat sources, and various IC package configurations. This multi-functional model maintains the operational simplicity of traditional CTMs while expanding adaptability to cover all modern thermal analysis requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for modelling a thermal environment of an electronic device is provided. The method includes obtaining a volumetric mesh representation of a region of three-dimensional space including the electronic device and a surrounding medium. A computational model for modelling the thermal environment of the region of space is determined based on the mesh representation and a set of thermal parameters for the plurality of mesh cells, and the computational model is evaluated to determine the thermal environment in each mesh cell of the mesh representation. The computational model includes an embedding of a boundary condition independent reduced order model of at least one component of the electronic device into a model of the surrounding medium.