An experimental assessment of numerical predictive accuracy for electronic component heat transfer in forced convection - Part II: Results and discussion

Numerical predictive accuracy is assessed for component-printed circuit board (PCB) heat transfer in forced convection using a widely used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. In Part I of this paper, the benchmark test cases, experimental methods and numerical models were described. Component junction temperature prediction accuracy for the populated board case is typically within ±5°C or ±10%, which would not be sufficient for temperature predictions to be used as boundary conditions for subsequent reliability and electrical performance analyses. Neither the laminar or turbulent flow model resolve the complete flow field, suggesting the need for a turbulence model capable of modeling transition. The full complexity of component thermal interaction is shown not to be fully captured.