Mechanical · Thermal Systems
Heat Sink & Thermal Management Design
Intermediate 4 weeks 30-50 hours
Design CPU heatsink with optimized fin geometry. Model thermal resistance. Simulate temperature distribution under load. Test experimentally. Create technical analysis.
Major
Mechanical
Focus area
Thermal Systems
Total hours
30-50 hours
What you'll need
- aluminum CPU heatsink with fan
- DS18B20 waterproof digital temperature sensor probe pack
- Arduino Uno R3 ATmega328P microcontroller board
- adjustable DC bench power supply 30V 10A variable
- thermal paste compound for CPU heatsink
- infrared thermometer temperature gun non-contact
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Steps
- Calculate the thermal resistance you need to keep a heat source under a target temperature.
- Use the bench supply and a resistor as a controlled heat source.
- Attach the heatsink with thermal paste and place temperature probes at key points.
- Log temperatures at several power levels, with and without the fan.
- Compare measured thermal resistance to your model and suggest fin design changes.
- Document your analysis for your portfolio.
What to photograph for your portfolio
- CAD heatsink model
- FEA temperature contours
- experimental test curves
- junction-to-ambient resistance
Resume bullet starters
Copy one, then swap in your own numbers.
Designed and built a heat sink & thermal management design using Thermal analysis, CAD, FEA
Applied heat transfer principles and experimental validation to implement, test, and validate the system end-to-end
Skills you'll show off
Thermal analysisCADFEAheat transfer principlesexperimental validation