Cooling of portable hand-held electronic devices using phase change materials in finned heat sinks

An experimental study was conducted on the cooling of portable hand-held electronic devices using n-eicosane as the phase change material (PCM) placed inside heat sinks with and without internal fins. The effects of the PCM number of fins, orientation of the device, and the power level (ranging from 3 to 5 W), on the transient thermal performances were investigated under frequent, heavy and light usage conditions. The results indicated that PCM-based heat sinks with internal fins are viable options for cooling mobile devices but the effectiveness of the approach may require optimization with respect to the amount of PCM used, the number of fins, the power level of the heat source, and the usage mode of the device. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.