[sdiy] Small form-factor PSU challenge!

[Andre Majorel]

On 2008-10-21 10:03 -0400, David Anderson wrote:

> You don't have to use a finned heatsink for your power supply.
> If you  make one side of your case from sheet aluminum, it might
> be enough  heatsink for your application. Consider that the
> Power One supplies use  sheet aluminum for their heatsinks.

Yes and you can make custom heat sinks by folding aluminium sheet.
Not being black anodised, they'll have lower thermal emissivity
but I suspect most of the heat exchange is through convection
anyway, another reason why it's best to keep the fins outside the
case.

Case manufacturers select alloys for mechanical properties
(machinability, rigidity), not for thermal conductivity. In
general, purer alloys (the 1xxx series) are easier to fold and
have better thermal conductivity.

The thermal conductivity of copper is at least 1.5 that of the
best aluminium alloys.

-- 
André Majorel <URL:http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/>
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