Effective Thermal Management in Electronic Devices Using Phase Change Materials

Effective thermal management is crucial for high-power devices to prevent overheating, which can degrade their performance and reliability. However, existing studies often oversimplify the heat source as a constant power region, neglecting the effects of periodic thermal cycling. Researchers from the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau and Horizon 2020, have investigated the thermal performance of electronic devices using phase change materials and pin fin heat sinks under periodic heating and cooling cycles. Their findings reveal that microencapsulated phase change materials can reduce the average temperature by 15.7%, while expanded graphite enhances temperature uniformity, lowering the peak temperature difference by up to 36.9°C.

Key Takeaways:

• The researchers developed a three-dimensional transient model of a SiC-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor system, which can operate stably within 150°C.
• The thermal performance under various phase change material types, pin fin shapes, and volume ratios was numerically evaluated, showing that circular fins achieved the lowest average temperature at 121.9°C.
• The study highlighted the effectiveness of using phase change materials with pin fin heat sinks to improve cooling in cyclic thermal environments, with results showing a 176.1% enhancement in uniformity and a 12.4% reduction in temperature.
• Microencapsulated phase change materials reduced the average temperature by 15.7%, and adding expanded graphite improved temperature uniformity and lowered the peak temperature difference by up to 36.9°C.
• The study was funded by the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau, Horizon 2020, and the University of Nottingham.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Energy Conversion and Management.

Statistics:

• The SiC-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor system can operate stably within 150°C.
• The thermal management performance of electronic devices with phase change materials and pin fin heat sinks shows a 15.7% reduction in average temperature using microencapsulated phase change materials.
• The peak temperature difference was lowered by up to 36.9°C by adding expanded graphite to the phase change material.
• Circular fins achieved the lowest average temperature at 121.9°C.
• The volume ratio of the pin fin has a significant impact on thermal performance, with a 12% fin volume fraction further reducing temperature by 12.4% and enhancing uniformity by 176.1%.

Sources:

• "Investigation of Thermal Management Performance of Electronic Devices With Phase Change Materials and Pin Fin Heat Sinks Under Periodic Heating and Cooling Cycles." Energy Conversion and Management, 2025; 342.
• Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Energy Conversion and Management - www.journals.elsevier.com/energy-conversion-and-management/)
• Yong Ren, University of Nottingham, Dept. of Mechanical Materials & Manufacturing Engineering, Ningbo, People's Republic of China.