Numerical simulation of heat transfer and temperature distribution in a printed circuit board enclosure model for different geometries and Reynolds numbers

Abstract

The heat transfer analysis and temperature distribution inside printed circuit board (PCB) enclosures for different geometries was investigated in this paper. Herein, the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) solver caffa3d.MB was employed to simulate the 3D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The numerical method uses a spatial discretization based on block-structured, nonorthogonal body fitted grids. Numerical simulations for two different PCB geometry configurations are analysed using eight Reynolds numbers. The temperature field is practically the same above the plate encasing the PCB, differences appear below the plate. While analysing the plane just below for the open geometry the main consideration is the presence of a hot zone. The greater heat transfer is obtained in the top channel for both geometries. In turn, in the bottom channel the heat transfer is greater in the closed geometry than the open one. The calculating results show that the cooling of the PCB is more efficient for the closed geometry.