Thermal management and heat transfer enhancement of electronic devices using integrative phase change material (PCM) and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) heat sinks

This study focuses on the thermal management of electronic components using phase change materials (PCM) with triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures. Three PCM-TPMS heat sinks (PCM-Gyroid, PCM-IWP, and PCM-Primitive) are examined, compared to pure PCM heat sinks. The heat sinks are evaluated under pulsed power sources with passive and active cooling. The effect of varying TPMS relative densities (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %) is also analyzed. The results indicate that PCM-TPMS heat sinks significantly accelerate the melting interfaces of PCM and provide improved heat transfer paths. They effectively scatter and reduce the base temperature of electronic components, with average values of 61.9 °C and 34.9 °C, compared to higher temperatures for pure PCM heat sinks under passive and active cooling, respectively. Increasing the relative density of TPMS structures from 10 % to 30 % leads to a slight improvement in base temperature reduction for the different TPMS structures. Among the three TPMS configurations, the PCM-Gyroid heat sinks are found to be the most effective in reducing base temperatures compared to PCM-IWP and PCM-Primitive heat sinks. Additionally, the use of PCM-TPMS significantly enhances the reliability and durability of electronic components by mitigating thermal cycling. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of PCM-TPMS heat sinks in improving the thermal management and performance of electronic components.