Plastic Heat Sink with Phase Change Material for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heat dissipation technologies in electronic devices are inefficient and costly, particularly for devices with varying heat-generating components, as they often require additional energy consumption and noise, and fail to effectively manage heat distribution among components with different calorific values.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device design that utilizes a heat sink with a sheet metal manufacturing process, optimizing the arrangement of components by temperature specification and airflow direction to enhance heat dissipation through convection and conduction, reducing manufacturing costs and preventing heat interference between components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a metal heat sink is used for heat dissipation, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive metal heat sinks with a plastic heat sink that has integrated heat dissipation fins. The plastic heat sink incorporates a phase change material (paraffin) that provides effective heat dissipation through phase transition, eliminating the need for costly metal materials while maintaining thermal management performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining plastic material with phase change material (paraffin) embedded within the heat dissipation fins. This composite approach allows the plastic heat sink to achieve metal-level heat dissipation effectiveness through the phase change material's latent heat absorption, while retaining the cost and manufacturing advantages of plastic.
2Temperature
If a fan is added to forcibly exhaust hot air, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but energy consumption and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs passive heat dissipation through natural convection and phase change mechanisms. The phase change material automatically absorbs heat through melting without requiring external energy input, and the heat dissipation fins utilize natural air convection currents to exhaust hot air, eliminating the need for fan-driven forced convection and associated energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition (melting) of paraffin phase change material embedded in the heat dissipation fins. As the phase change material transitions from solid to liquid, it absorbs large amounts of latent heat, providing active cooling without mechanical components or energy input, thereby replacing fan-based forced convection systems.
3Productivity
If electronic components are arranged without considering temperature specifications, then device assembly is simplified, but heat interference between components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements localized thermal management by positioning specific heat dissipation fins adjacent to corresponding high-heat-generating electronic components. The phase change material is strategically placed in the heat dissipation fins that are in direct thermal contact with specific components, providing targeted heat absorption and preventing heat interference between adjacent components with different thermal requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces heat dissipation fins containing phase change material as intermediary thermal management elements between electronic components and the surrounding environment. These fins act as thermal mediators that absorb and transfer heat from specific components through phase change, preventing direct heat interference between components while maintaining assembly simplicity.
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 increases heat dissipation efficiency, reduces heat sink costs, and prevents heat interference by sorting components by temperature and arranging them according to airflow, using a heat sink that accelerates waste heat removal through air convection and conduction, while being suitable for sheet metal manufacturing and more cost-effective than die-casting or aluminum extrusion-casting processes.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one side board is close to or contacts the housing so as to dissipate the heat of the at least one electronic component by heat conduction and heat convection
Implementation Method 2
The at least one side board is close to or contacts the housing so as to dissipate the heat of the at least one electronic component by heat conduction and heat convection
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a first circuit board, and a first heat sink. The housing forms a receiving space. The first circuit board and the first heat sink are received in the receiving space along the gravity direction. One side of the first circuit board has at least one electronic element. The first heat sink has a first base board and at least first side board. The first base board is arranged adjacent to the first circuit board. The electronic element transferred heat to the first base board. The first side board connects to the first base board, and cooperatively forms a first heat dissipating channel along the gravity direction. The first side board is close to or contacts the housing, so that the heat of the electronic element can be transferred by heat conduction and heat convection to dissipate outside.