Heat Sink Types

To quantify the effectiveness of different types of heat sinks the volumetric heat transfer efficiency can be defined as where m is the mass flow rate through the heat sink c is the heat capacity of the fluid and t sa is the average temperature difference between the heat sink and the ambient air.

Heat sink types. In many applications the device is an electronic component e g. 1 extruded heat sinks. Heat sinks can be categorized based on three parameters. A heat sink s fin style can significantly influence its ability to release thermal energy into the environment.

The majority of heat sinks are made from extruded aluminum. The device transfers heat to the heatsink by conduction the primary mechanism of heat transfer from the heatsink is convection although radiation also has a minor influence. Types and impacts on efficiency style. A heat sink also commonly spelled heatsink is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium often air or a liquid coolant where it is dissipated away from the device thereby allowing regulation of the device s temperature.

There are a number of different ways to make heat sinks. They are made by pushing hot metal through a steel die into the desired shape. In some cases plastic can be used to create a folded fin heat sink. For the cooling purpose it incorporates a fan or cooling device.

6 heat sink types by manufacturing process each heat sink manufacturing process has its own advantages and drawbacks. Extrusions can be made into elaborate two dimensional shapes allowing them to dissipate more heat and are one of the most cost effective thermal management solutions. However fin style is generally subject to the shape of the heat generating component. Convection fin arrangement and the manufacturing process.

There are two distinct types of convection. This means buoyance of hot air alone causes the airflow produced across the heat sink system. Extruded heat sinks are the most common type used today. In part 2 of our 2 part series on heat sink types we ll look at active heat sinks forged swaged single fin assembly and skived.

Let s take a look at 6 common heat sink types. Passive heat sinks dissipate thermal energy through the natural convection process. Cpu gpu asic fet etc and the surrounding fluid is air. In computers heat sinks are used to cool cpus gpus and some chipsets and ram modules.