Thermal Analysis and Mitigation

Extensive experience with thermal analysis and thermal mitigation techniques, especially as it pertains to power electronics and miniature electronics design.

  • Passive Cooling – including the use of aluminum heat sinks, thermal grease, and heat sinking through the PCB using soldermask keepout areas and the effects of increasing PCB copper weight on PCB thermal conductivity
  • Active Cooling – use of fans and strategic placement of high power components to maximize cooling effect of natural airflow
  • Low Power Design – sometimes the best way to mitigate thermal problems is to avoid them altogether through minimizing electrical power consumed (most wasted power is dissipated as heat). Expert-level abilities at finding the balance between power consumption and performance.
  • Thermal Analysis – comprehensive analysis of a design, including characterization of thermal conducting paths and auditing component electrical power consumption and package thermal conductivity characteristics to ensure semiconductor junction temperatures are not exceeded and any effects due to high temperature operation are well understood. Experience with hand calculations and the use of thermal simulation software using SolidWorks COSMOS and CircuitWorks.
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