Embedded heat pipes as thermal solution for PCBs

Within the scope of this work, we study the impact of embedded mini heat pipes on the overall thermal performance of PCBs. In a first step, the heat transfer of miniaturized heat pipes is quantified by measurements. The effective thermal conductivity and the maximum admissible heat flow are determined in dependence of the environment temperature and gravitational field orientations. In a second step, the heat spreading properties of miniaturized heat pipes embedded in PCBs are investigated experimentally. Finally, the combination of precise thermal characterization together with reliable FEM simulations establish a basis for the design and the expected performance of solutions for heat spreading based on PCB-Embedded mini heat pipes.