Study on thermal management performance and quick design method of heat sink based on porous skeleton and phase change materials

AbstractPCM-based heat sinks provide an effective solution for managing the thermal performance of intermittent electronic devices. A rapid design method of heat sink for thermal management of the intermittent electronic devices was proposed. This method allows for the rapid identification of the optimal heat sink configuration, combining porous skeletons and PCMs tailored to specific design requirements, with an applicable porosity range of 0.52 to 0.97. Furthermore, the influence of parameters, including heat flux, thermal storage capacity and PCM type, on the thermal management performance of electronic devices were investigated. As the porosity of PCM-based heat sink increases, the critical time for electronic components first rises and then falls with higher porosity, suggesting the existence of an optimal porosity configuration. When the heat flux of the electronic device increases from 8.5 kW·m−2 to 10 kW·m−2 and then to 11.5 kW·m−2, the optimal porosity remains constant at 0.80, while the critical time decreases. The critical time extends while the optimal porosity structure diminishes as the thermal storage capacity of the heat sink increases. As the thickness of the PCM-based heat sink increases from 50 to 70 and 90 mm, the optimal porosity structure changes from 0.80 to 0.74 and 0.67.