Pyrolytic graphite heat sinks: A study of circuit board applications

Pyrolytic graphite is of interest as a heat sink and heat exchanger material because it has a thermal conductivity greater than copper with a density less than aluminum. However, its anisotropic molecular structure creates a significant challenge to the realization of practical thermal performance benefits. The current computational study compares the performance of a high thermal conductivity pyrolytic graphite, Pyroid HT, to aluminum over a design space that focuses on circuit board component
cooling. The applications considered in the study include flat-plate thermal spreaders and finned heat sinks. The results are presented in a form that can be used to provide material and geometry selection during preliminary design. The competition
between the size of the heat source, the thickness of the spreader, its size, and the strength of the forced convection is quantitatively presented. Additionally, the thicknesses that provide the optimal performance are determined and the performance is compared to a thickness that would be approximately cost neutral. A single isotropic analytical fin model is used to quantitatively establish the fin sizes and aspect ratios that would demonstrate the largest performance benefit if made from pyrolytic graphite. Finally, the impact of Pyroid HT on the size of finned heat sinks is examined.

Title	Pyrolytic graphite heat sinks: A study of circuit board applications
Creator	Yoder, K.
Creator	Sabatino, Daniel
Publisher	IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology
Academic Department	Mechanical Engineering
Division	Engineering
Organization	Lafayette College
Date Issued	2014
Date Available	2014-04-07T14:16:52Z
Type	Article
Language	English
Keyword	heat sink
	thermal spreader
	Pyrolytic graphite
Bibliographic Citation	Sabatino, D. and K. Yoder (2014) "Pyrolytic graphite heat sinks: A study of circuit board applications." IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology (forthcoming).
Standard Identifier	Handle 10385/1441
Permalink	http://hdl.handle.net/10385/1441
Rights Statement	In Copyright
Rights Holders	IEEE