US 6,663,278 B1 · Method for determining the thermal performance of a heat sink

Abstract

A method for determining the thermal resistance constant of a modular heat sink. The method can be carried out by first providing a heat capacity tank formed of a high thermal conductivity metal. A modular heat sink is then mounted on top of the heat capacity tank and heated together with the tank to a temperature of at least 40° C. The heating is then stopped and the heat sink/heat capacity tank is allowed to cool for at least 30 seconds before the temperature and the cooling time of the heat capacity tank is monitored and recorded. The function of dT/dt is then calculated. The amount of heat dissipated is then calculated from the equation of Q=W·Cp·(dT/dt), while the thermal resistance constant is calculated by the equation of R=(T−Tamb)/Q.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for determining the thermal resistance constant of a thermal module comprising the steps of:

providing a heat capacity tank fabricated of a metal;
mounting a thermal module on top of said heat capacity tank;
heating said heat capacity tank and said thermal module to a temperature of at least 40° C.;
stopping said heating step and cooling for at least 30 sec.;
monitoring temperature and cooling time of said heat capacity tank for a preset length of time and calculating dT/dt;
calculating the amount of heat dissipated by the module from the equation
Q=W·Cp·(dT/dt)
wherein W and Cp are the weight and the heat capacity of the heat capacity tank, respectively;
and
calculating the thermal resistance constant of the module from the equation
R=(T−Tamb)/Q
wherein T and Tamb are the temperature of the heat capacity tank and the ambient temperature, respectively.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for determining the thermal performance of a heat sink

Life of this patent

Method for determining the thermal performance of a heat sink

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20