Experimental Study on the Use of PCM-based Heat Sink for Cooling of Mobile Devices

An experimental study is conducted on the cooling of portable electronic devices using PCM-based heat sinks. The design uses different aluminum heat sinks filled with n-eicosane to store and dissipate the generated heat. The temperature profiles at three different power levels, (i.e. 3 W, 4 W and 5 W) for three different positions (i.e. horizontally, vertically and inclined at 45° to the horizontal) are measured. In addition, the surface temperature of each setup is captured with a thermal imager. The experimental results indicate that the PCM-based heat sinks can be used to effectively manage the temperature of portable electronic devices. Based on this finding, mathematical models are currently being developed to facilitate the optimal designs of PCM-based heat sinks.