Thermal macro-modeling of a surface mounted package with a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tool

The paper describes an accurate and time efficient thermal model developed for a surface mounted package with the use of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool. As the full simulation of conjugate heat transfer phenomena is a formidable numerical problem, the study tries to identify what aspects should be included in the behavioral or macroscopic model. A prototype package mounted alone on a printed circuit board is set up and the experimental evidence is firstly used to calibrate the model and then to verify its extrapolation capabilities. While numerical simulation requires measured information to be realistically calibrated, it can supply information about temperature and heat distribution which can not be achieved by means of a mere experimental approach.