Analysis and Design of a Piezoelectric Fan System for Advanced Cooling Applications

Electronic components are under thermal stress due to the heat generated by the power losses during their normal operation. In order to prevent damage and guarantee long term reliability while performing their functions properly, their temperature should be maintained below a specified limit all the time. The importance of this research is to ensure that electronic components stay at the specified temperature based on ambient conditions with component-based cooling. The aim of this study is to perform mechanical analysis and design of the piezoelectric fan that provides component-based cooling for small areas, and to analyze the electronic driver used to control the airflow provided by the cooler. This work included the mechanical analysis and design of a heat sink for keeping the FPGA material at a sufficient temperature on an add-on card inside the enclosure, considering the ambient parameters inside the enclosure. Piezoelectric material was preferred to provide movement in the cooler design. Consistent with the mechanical analysis of piezoelectric material, the electronic control to provide the required motion was analyzed. The advantages of analog and digital circuits were compared for electronic control and evaluated the suitability of generating the required signals with digital circuits. The required signal was produced by making simulations on the control with H-Bridge structure with the SPWM method. As a result of the mechanical analysis, the type of heatsink that provides the most effective cooling, the surface area of the heatsink in contact with the air, and the airflow velocity were determined. A modal analysis for the electronically generated signal concluded that the required pulsation should be a sine wave at first mode frequency of piezoelectric fan with no other frequencies at which the piezoelectric material is stimulated.