Cooling system transient analysis using an electric circuit program analog

Abstract

By exploiting the common mathematical similarities between electrical and thermal circuits, an electric circuit transient analysis program may be used to analyze the transient behavior of thermal circuits. This is an especially convenient approach for the analysis and optimization of the cooling performance of burst mode type electrical apparatus such as high power transmitters. The relations between electrical components and the equivalent thermal components are established such that given the thermal component characteristics, one may then write and electric circuit with the proper values and then nm the model to determine the performance in electrical parameters that are then easily interpreted as thermal parameters. Similar techniques have been used for the thermal analysis of components such as semiconductor devices [I] and analog hardware [2]. In this paper the P-Spicem program is used as an example; however, the same procedures may be implemented using any electric circuit analysis program.

Improvement of microsystem throughput using new cooling system

“…Also exists an analogy between heat source and electrical current. Notice that, the heat power can be presented either as a heat source or as a heat exchanger having proper direction (negative or positive) in a circuit [6]. Let's calculate the particular parameters: Fig.1 (a) A finned passive heat sink connected to a laptop microprocessor via a heat pipe and (b) Model of cooling system (Integrated circuits connected to parallel plate fin heat sink with U-shape channels via a heat pipe and its equivalent RC thermal network).…”

Comparison of different cooling systems using compact model

“…The proposed approach is based on the analogy between electrical and thermal parameters. Due to that, the transient thermal behaviour of the system may be analysed by using electric simulator program [7]. It might be an engineering solution to perform an adequate thermal analysis and temperature computation of a system in order to assess the cooling system capability.…”