Surface-Mounted Heat Buffer for Power Peak Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for dissipating heat from surface mounted components suffer from high thermal resistance, which prevents efficient dissipation of heat during power peaks, limiting the performance of components like MOSFETs and IGBTs.
Innovation Solution
A heat buffer made of a thermally and electrically conducting material is surface mounted on the circuit board, soldered to the thermal flag of the component, and connected to a heat sink through a galvanic separation, acting as an intermediate heat storage to manage power peaks and reduce thermal resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heat dissipation methods (direct mounting to circuit board) are used, then the structure is simple, but the thermal resistance is too large (5 K/W) to handle power peaks
Solution Approach 1:
A heat buffer made of thermally and electrically conducting material is introduced as an intermediary component between the surface-mounted component and the circuit board. This buffer has high thermal capacitance to absorb heat during power peaks and low thermal resistance to efficiently transfer heat to the circuit board during normal operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between handling power peaks and maintaining simple structure.
2Power
If a heat buffer with high thermal capacitance is introduced, then the ability to handle power peaks is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat buffer is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as a thermal capacitance element to handle power peaks, provides a low thermal resistance path to the circuit board, and can be integrated into the existing circuit board layout. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate cooling components, thereby managing device complexity while improving power handling capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the thermal flag is soldered directly to the circuit board, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the thermal resistance through the board (1-5 K/W) limits heat dissipation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The heat buffer is designed to be nested within or integrated into the circuit board structure, with the component's thermal flag soldered to the top of the buffer and the buffer itself thermally connected to the circuit board. This nesting approach maintains manufacturing simplicity by using the same surface-mount process while significantly reducing thermal resistance through the heat path.
4Reliability
If galvanic separation is implemented between the thermal flag and heat sink, then electrical isolation is achieved, but additional thermal resistance is introduced (0.5-3 K/W through aluminum oxide)
Solution Approach 1:
The heat buffer is made of composite or multi-layer thermally and electrically conducting materials that provide both the necessary electrical isolation (galvanic separation) and low thermal resistance. This allows the system to achieve both electrical safety and efficient heat dissipation simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between electrical isolation and thermal performance.
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 heat buffer significantly increases thermal capacitance, allowing components to withstand higher power consumption and efficiently dissipate heat, reducing thermal resistance by a factor of three and enhancing component performance.
Implementation Method 1
The heat buffer significantly increases thermal capacitance, allowing components to withstand higher power consumption and efficiently dissipate heat
Implementation Method 2
A heat buffer made of a thermally and electrically conducting material is surface mounted on the circuit board, soldered to the thermal flag of the component, and connected to a heat sink through a galvanic separation
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~4
AI summary
An assembly (110) for dissipating heat generated by a heat generating electrical component (16) which is surface mounted on a circuit board (11) in a surface mounting process. The assembly comprises a heat buffer (120) made of a thermally and electrically conducing material, and being surface mounted on the circuit board (11) so as to be soldered to a thermal flag (18) of the heat generating electrical component (16). The assembly further comprises a heat sink (12) in thermal contact with the heat buffer, and a galvanic separation (13) between the heat buffer and heat sink. The heat capacitance of the heat buffer can absorb short term increases in heat dissipation from the electrical component, before the heat is further dissipated to the galvanically separated heat sink. This may drastically improve performance of the surface mounted component.