Experimental Study and CFD Modelling for Thermal Cooling Improvement of Electronic Components Using Graphene Nanosheets Coated

Abstract

Electronic circuit boards’ heat dissipation capability directly impacts their service life since the heat dissipation efficiency of components directly impacts the board’s life. This work focused on the problem of the high surface temperature of the electronic components at the control unit stage of a cement production line. Three dimensional CFD model has been developed to simulate all components in this circuit board. A thermographic camera has been used to measure the surface temperatures of the components on the circuit board. Consistency was very good in the results. Two cooling mechanisms were examined, one of which is a traditional technique by forced air cooling technology. The other is using graphene nanosheets coating technology to increase the dissipation of the generated heat to the surrounding atmosphere. Although an electronic fan was very effective in cooling the electronic circuit components, which reduced the temperature by 22.6%, it has two undesirable features: the need to install it in a safe place and the need for power to run it. Graphene nanosheets coatings provide efficient and economical heat dissipation. The thin graphene layer enhances the radiation effect for the heat significantly. The results showed that the smooth aluminium plate coated with graphene and mounted directly to the back part of the transistor behind the plastic chip carrier piece for heat dissipation provided an efficient, sustainable and economical solution in thermal management. In comparison with the fan, the graphene nanosheets coating technology reduces the temperature by an average of 16.4% without consuming any energy.