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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-421-2

International Heat Transfer Conference 15
August, 10-15, 2014, Kyoto, Japan

Topology Optimisation for the Volume-to-Surface Problem in a Three-Dimensional Cubic Domain Using Conduction Cooling

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC15.cnd.009207
pages 1369-1383

Sinopsis

In this investigation, three-dimensional topology optimisation was considered to improve heat conduction for the volume-to-surface problem in a cubic three-dimensional domain. Of interest is cooling of a solid with low thermal conductivity and high heat generation rate by the correct internal placement of high-conductive material. This has application in the cooling of, for instance, electronic modules where at small length scales conduction heat transfer optimisation is suitable to improve thermal cooling performance. A numerical scheme using a structured mesh based on the finite volume method was used to determine the steady state temperature for a given high- and low conductive material distribution. Local material properties were controlled by means of local design variables. The material distribution was optimized in terms of these design variables via the method of moving asymptotes (MMA) algorithm in order to reduce the average internal temperature. The objective function sensitivities were determined by making use of an adjoint method. Mesh dependence was checked and it was found that at higher mesh densities, only minor local material distribution features become apparent. A full Dirichlet temperature boundary was considered with different seeding locations. Thermal conductivity ratios ranging from 5 to 3 000 and volumetric constraints between 5% and 10% were considered. Single and multiple seed locations were also considered. It was found that each seed location resulted in a separate conduction tree, each of which had four primary branches of varying thicknesses.