Electronics manufacturers allocate a considerable portion of resources to the research and development of Thermal Management solutions. One of the next challenges will be thermal management methods optimization and energy improvement.
The demands for optimization of electrical components require an ever-greater effort in managing the temperatures of devices and products. Manufacturing companies must maintain optimal temperatures for heat sources so that devices are efficient.
This extends their lifecycle and ensures more suitable operation and reliable, durable performance. Temperature management thus provides valid support to devices, introducing a system that dissipates heat. Techniques implemented inside utilize processes such as conduction, convection, and radiation, regulating the control system.
Proper thermal management would allow electronic equipment, vehicles, power plants, imaging, and computer systems to benefit from ideal performance. Implementing effective thermal management techniques could be the solution to the overheating problem, thereby reducing potential damage. Among the tools offering an immediate solution are heat sinks, fans, liquid cooling systems, and thermal interface materials.
Solutions are classified based on the primary cooling method used: air cooling, liquid cooling, and two-phase cooling. Air cooling is the most used because it is economical and has a relatively simple system. Liquid cooling and two-phase solutions offer a more "productive" heat transfer, intended for high-performance applications.
It's worth noting that a significant amount of energy is allocated to cooling systems that power electronic systems. Thus, we might anticipate that electronic systems in the near future will integrate more effective heat dissipation systems. The most significant issues are related to the type of thermal interface material for heat dissipation.
Over time, electronic and mechanical devices have been "miniaturized," meaning reduced in size. This trend has led to an increase in heat flow, and to this day, these devices partly meet thermal requirements. Future systems will undoubtedly see the spread of devices for more effective thermal management. For instance, new projects of heat sinks, materials for heat transfer, and cooling systems like thermoelectric coolers.
The current approaches have pros and cons, often the application's usage conditions guide the most suitable choice.