Optimum design and selection of heat sinks

An analytical simulation model has been developed for predicting and optimizing the thermal performance of bidirectional fin heat sinks in a partially confined configuration. Sample calculations are carried out, and parametric plots are provided, illustrating the effect of various design parameters on the performance of a heat sink. It is observed that the actual convection flow velocity through fins is usually unknown to designers, yet, is one of the parameters that greatly affect the overall thermal performance of a heat sink. In this paper, a simple method of determining the fin flow velocity is presented, and the development of the overall thermal model is described. An overview of different types of heat sinks and associated design parameters is provided. Optimization of heat-sink designs and typical parametric behaviors are discussed based on the sample simulation results.