Heat-Sink Thermal Sim (ME 322)
Finite-difference 2D conduction solver for an extruded aluminum heat sink, comparing fin spacings against measured bench data.
Coursework project that turned into something I actually liked. Wrote a small Python solver for steady-state 2D conduction across a heat-sink cross-section, then ran a sweep on fin pitch.
Approach
- Discretized the cross-section on a uniform grid; convective BC on exposed faces, fixed-temperature base.
- Validated against an analytical 1D fin solution before trusting the 2D output.
- Compared simulated ΔT to bench measurements with a 5W resistor and four thermocouples.
Results
Simulation tracked measurements within ~8% across three fin pitches, with the gap widening at the tightest spacing — about what you’d expect when the ideal-uniform-h assumption breaks down.