Effects of Fin Height, Base Thickness, Blackening, Emissivity and Thermal Conductivity on Heat Dissipation of Die-Cast Aluminum Alloy Heat Sink

The effects of fin height, base thickness, blackening, emissivity and thermal conductivity on the heat dissipation for die-cast aluminum alloy heat sinks were investigated comprehensively. The thermal conductivity and emissivity vary depending on the aluminum alloy. It was clarified whether correlations between the influences of these factors exist. Three aluminum alloys with different thermal conductivities and emissivities were used in this study. Four-finned heat sinks were produced by die casting. Four fin heights and three base thicknesses were tested. In the as-cast (non-blackened) heat sinks, the emissivity had a greater effect on the heat dissipation than the thermal conductivity did. In blackened heat sinks, the heat dissipation increased as the thermal conductivity increased. For both the as-cast and blackened heat sinks, the heat dissipation increased as both the fin height and base thickness increased. Correlations between these influencing factors were also investigated. The blackened heat sink made from aluminum alloy with larger thermal conductivity showed the best heat dissipation performance.