Why Electronics Need Cooling - heat sink transistor

 

Why Electronics Need Cooling - heat sink transistor

Heat sinks: a step-by-step guide on how to remove heat from your designs
By Aaron Yarnell


Heat sinks are important! Essential components of circuit design, they efficiently remove heat from electronic devices (including BJT and MOSFET transistors, and linear regulators) by redirecting it back into the ambient air.

Their role is to create a larger surface area on a heat producing device and in doing so, to allow a more efficient transfer of heat to the outside. An improved thermal path to the exterior of the device reduces any temperature rise at the component junction.

This article aims to detail the problem of choosing a heat sink, drawing on the thermal data related to the use of the device as well as the specifications provided by the heat sink supplier.

Is a heat sink required?
 Suppose the application in question has a transistor housed in a TO-220 package, in which the conduction and switching losses are equivalent to a power dissipation of 2.78 W. In addition, the operating ambient temperature does not exceed 50 ° C. Is a heat sink required for this transistor?

 

Why Electronics Need Cooling - heat sink transistor

Heat sinks: a step-by-step guide on how to remove heat from your designs
By Aaron Yarnell


Heat sinks are important! Essential components of circuit design, they efficiently remove heat from electronic devices (including BJT and MOSFET transistors, and linear regulators) by redirecting it back into the ambient air.

Their role is to create a larger surface area on a heat producing device and in doing so, to allow a more efficient transfer of heat to the outside. An improved thermal path to the exterior of the device reduces any temperature rise at the component junction.

This article aims to detail the problem of choosing a heat sink, drawing on the thermal data related to the use of the device as well as the specifications provided by the heat sink supplier.

Is a heat sink required?
 Suppose the application in question has a transistor housed in a TO-220 package, in which the conduction and switching losses are equivalent to a power dissipation of 2.78 W. In addition, the operating ambient temperature does not exceed 50 ° C. Is a heat sink required for this transistor?