High-Ratio Heat Sink Replaces Bonded-Fin Solution

CHALLENGE

Methode was approached to find a replacement for a bonded-fin heat sink prototype that was too large, too heavy and too expensive.

SOLUTION

By eliminating the need for a labor-intensive bonded-fin heat sink and reducing the overall size, we met not only the customer’s thermal requirements, but also their weight and target price expectations.

STORY

A major UPS manufacturer faced a dilemma while developing a battery-backup system for wind-turbine power generators. The UPS system used a prototype bonded-fin heat sink to meet their limited volume and low thermal resistance needs. However, the prototype was too large, too heavy and too expensive.

Methode performed a thermal analysis—using the customer’s design, power component layout, key environmental constraints and maximum operating conditions—and discovered that the prototype heat sink was overdesigned. Using this information, we designed a high-ratio extrusion that met the thermal performance requirements and was about 15% smaller than the prototype design. By eliminating the need for a labor-intensive bonded-fin heat sink and by reducing the overall size, we met not only the thermal requirements, but also the weight and target price expectations.