Thermal design and optimization of staggered polymer pin fin natural convection heat sinks

The design and optimization of a thermally conductive PPS polymer pin fin heat sink, for an advanced natural convection cooled microprocessor application, are described. The geometric dependence of heat dissipation and the relationships between the pin fin length, pin diameter, horizontal spacing, and pin fin density for a fixed base area and excess temperature are discussed. The coefficient of thermal performance, COP_T, that relates cooling capability to the energy invested in the formation of the heat sink, has been determined for such heat sinks and compared with conventional aluminum heat sinks. The thermal performance results obtained confirm that PPS (polyphenylene sulphide) polymer heat sinks provide a promising alternative to heat sinks fabricated of conventional materials.