Optimal Placement of Electronic Components to Minimize Heat Flux Nonuniformities

摘要

Isothermalization of satellite panels contributes positively to system thermal performance. Although technology innovations provide one solution path, an alternative method that has not received much attention is simply optimized component placement. The present approach provides a fast method for determining optimized component placement over a rectangular surface that approaches a uniform distribution of heat flux. The approach presented in this paper is especially useful in situations in which limited or no thermophysical properties and/or environmental conditions are readily available. The resulting methodology can be used in a variety of industries, including microelectronics and satellite development. A companion Technical Note (Hengeveld, D., Braun, J., Groll, E., and Williams, A., "Optimal Distribution of Electronic Components to Balance Environmental Fluxes," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 484, 2011, pp. 694-697. doi:10.2514/1.51063) addresses the problem of distributing individual components to individual panels of a satellite. When combined, the two methodologies provide an overall approach for minimizing temperature distribution across an entire satellite structure.