Suscripción a Biblioteca: Guest

ISSN Online: 2377-424X

International Heat Transfer Conference 12
August, 18-23, 2002, Grenoble, France

Passive Cooling Limits for Ventilated Notebook Computers

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC12.880
6 pages

Sinopsis

Rapidexpansion of the portable computing market segment, coupled with ever increasing component power dissipation and product miniaturization, are combining to bring new importance to the development of passive thermal solutions for notebook-type computers. As an aidto thermal packaging technologists involved in the development of such notebook computers, it is useful to establish a methodology for assessing the limits of natural convection andrad iation from the external surfaces of the computer, as well as the thermal transport capability of internal convection.

A recent study of the passive cooling limits for an unventilated notebook computer, using simplified natural convection and radiation models, was presentedby Solbrekken, et. al. (2001) andestablishedthat substantial cooling capability exists in this configuration. The current study extends this methodology to ventilated notebook computers andinclud es the impact of flow interference between internal and external flow. Comparison of the analytic results from established correlations to detailedcom putational fluidd ynamic simulations reveals the utility and efficacy of simplified models in understanding passive cooling limits. A case study using nominal notebook geometry and temperature conditions found that up to 48W may be passively dissipated from a notebook computer.