Investigating the Effect of Power Distribution on Cooling a Double-Sided PCB: Numerical Simulation and Experiment
An experimental procedure for investigating the effect of power distribution on the cooling of a double-sided PCB is implemented. A number of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are validated by laboratory experiments performed in 19.5°C temperature environment. Case temperatures of surface-mounted components fully populating the PCB sides are measured and monitored in simulations. Different combinations of power distribution with other cooling methods, such as a heatsink tooled on a sealed or open enclosure, at natural or forced convection, are studied. Thermally efficient uniform and non-uniform power configurations are determined on a double sided PCB. It is concluded that managing power distribution on a double-sided PCB can be considered as a measure to improve the thermal performance of electronic modules.