Chapter 4

Convection Heat Transfer

in Electronic Equipment

4.1 Introduction

Of the three modes of heat transfer (conduction , convection, and radiation), the
convection mode has the most varied applications. Convection is actually the
result of two energy transfer mechanisms : fluid motion and molecular motion.
The molecular motion at the heat transfer interface is the result of conduction
through the stagnant thermal boundary layer. Heat transfer through this layer is
based upon Fourier' s Law [1], AT= qL/kA e • In convective heat transfer the
engineer is faced with estimating the heat transfer coefficient, he' for a surface.
Usually this coefficient comes from texts of empirical formulas, which are based
on actual experiments and observations . We cannot calculate the heat transfer
coefficient exactly because we can analytically solve only the differential equa-
tions governing convection for the simplest flows and geometries .
Because the empirical equations for the Nusselt number [2] are often tedious
and complex, the engineer should take extra care when solving these problems
with a hand calculator.

4.2 Fluid Properties

Specific Heat
Every material has a thermal capacity. In the SI system, we measure thermal
capacity as the heat required to make 1.0 kg of material 1.0°C warmer. In the
English system of units it is the temperature required to increase the tempera-
ture of 1.0 Ibm of a material by 1.0°F. Since this capacity is proportional to a
material's mass, we call this the specific heat. We use the specific heat of water
as the reference standard of one calorie per gram-T', Since a calorie is 4.184 kJ,
the specific heat of water at 20°C can be expressed in SI units as 4.184 kJlkg K.

241
R. Remsburg, Advance Thermal Design of Electronic Equipment
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1998
242 Chap. 4 Convection Heat Transfer in Electronic Equipment

In the English system, energy is measured in Btu, therefore, water at 68°F has
a specific heat of 1.00 Btu/lb., of.
The lower the specific heat, the easier it is for the material to absorb heat
energy. This property is significant in calculating how readily the fluid can
absorb heat from an electronic component.

EXAMPLE 4.1
e (68°F) flows past a 1.0 W (3.412
A I kg/s (2.205 Ibm Is) mass of air at 20 0
Btu/h) component. What will be the temperature rise (LlT) of the air?
Using the standard mass flow equation:

!!.T - ~ - IW _ X -3
- l i lC
p
- (lkg/s)(l005.2J/kgK) -0.9948 10
0
e (4.1)

In the English system of units we must convert I W to 3.412 Btu/h. to 9.478

X 10-4 Btu/s :

A1 ' q 9.478 x 10-4 Btu/s 3 0

u =-.-= =1.79IxlO- I (4.2)
/IIC P (2.205Ibm/s)(0 .2400Btu/Ib, 0 F)

For the same problem using a deionized water coolant:

!!.T-~ - IW _ -3 0
- m c.; - (Ikg/s)(418I.7J/kgK) -0.239I xlO e (4.3)

and in the English system of units:

!!.T=-/!--= 9.478 x 10-4 Btu/s = 0.4304 X 10- 3 OF (4.4)

/IIC P (2.2051b m/s)(0 .9988Btu/lb.; 0 F)

As displayed here, air absorbs the heat energy more easily than an equal mass
flow of water. Of course, although the mass is the same, we see a great differ-
ence in volume between 1 kg (2.205 Ibm) of air (-1 .0 nr' or 35.31 fr') and 1 kg
of water (-0.001 m3 or 0.03531 ft3). We call the denominator of this equation
(nicp ) , the thermal capacity.
Thermal Expansion
The thermal expansion of a fluid is especially important in determining heat
transfer under conditions of natural convection. The temperature differential
between the electronic component and the ambient environment causes the fluid
to expand and become less dense. Heat transfer has increased because of the
temperature-induced motion of the fluid.