Investigating Copper and Aluminum Heat Sinks’ Thermal Performance in Power Electronic System

The performance of a heat sink is crucial in power electronic systems. The long life and ideal performance of the components of the system depend on the efficient dissipation of the heat produced within. Hence, heat sink design plays a major role in thermal management of these systems (Wang et al., Int J Heat Mass Trans 167:120827, 2021) [1]. Aluminum and copper are the two common materials with high thermal conductivity used in heat sink construction. The purpose of the study is to evaluate how well these two materials dissipate the heat formed inside the IGBT. This study investigates the thermal characteristics of a heat sink that is readily available in the market with an IGBT as a heat source using steady-state thermal analyses. To obtain a thorough perception of the influence on thermal dissipation, the base thickness of the heat sink is gradually increased, and the results are tabulated for aluminum and copper (Alaseef et al., J Prosthodont: Off J Am Coll Prosthodont 9:799-805, 2022) [2]. The comparison of the heatsinks made of both materials gives an insight into their various thermal performances. This result helps in optimizing heat sink design for increased efficiency and dependability by deepening our understanding of thermal management in power electronics converters.