electro-thermal | PartQuest™ Explore

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Designer

Description

This LED lighting example demonstrates the value of simulating both the electrical and thermal* aspects of power dissipating circuits together, simultaneously.

In this application example, a Vishay NTCS0603 Thermistor provides feedback of the enclosure temperature. This feedback is used to control PWM dimming of the LEDs, thereby limiting the internal temperature when operating at high external ambient temperature conditions.

This is a "Live" design, the user can change key parameter values and then run new simulations to see the results. These parameters include "r_mirror", the resistance of the current mirror that controls the capacitor charging rate of the 555 timer, and thereby set the PWM frequency. The user can also change "r_offset" that controls the temperature level at which the dimming operation begins. Finally, the user can set "r_iLED_set", to control the ON-state operating current of the LEDs.

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* To reduce the time needed to simulate the transition and settling at 6 different temperature levels, all thermal time constants were reduced by approximately 1000x. The actual thermal response time constant of the NTCS0603 is approximately 3 seconds (depends on mounting), not 3 msec! Also, the enclosure thermal capacitance value would more likely be 3 (J/degC) instead of 3 (mJ/degC), giving a thermal time constant for the enclosure of 10 (degC/Watt) * 3 (J/degC) = 30 seconds. This time scaling does not affect the static relationship between the outside temperature and PWM dimming.

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Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

Copy of Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Thermal Network - on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 17:32

Designer

Description

This example shows the importance of modeling thermal interaction effects, or "thermal crosstalk", in power dissipating circuits. The "design" is a simple transistor amplifier, using just an 8 Ohm pull-up resistor and an active pull-down NPN BJT. Both of these models are from our "Thermal and Electro-thermal" Components Library, so they have a thermal port that can connect to an external thermal network. These models output all power dissipated in the device as a thermal heat-flow into that network.

The thermal network includes the heat-sink's heat capacitance (0.1 J/degC) and heat transfer resistance to the ambient (10 degC/Watt). This assumes the resistor and transistor contribute heat to the same heat-sink. The transistor's thermal heat-flow path also includes an 8.8 degC/Watt resistance, to represent the Junction-to-Lead Thermal Resistance as published in the device datasheet (Diodes Inc. FZT869).

From the simulation results it is clear that the heat-sink temperature rises to nearly 120 degC (purple waveform), causing the transistor's junction temperature to approach 150 degC (average, red waveform). This is significantly higher than the value predicted in the companion design example: "Modeling Transistor Amplifier Self-Heating - Hot Part Monitor", which assumed the two devices were thermally isolated.

About text formats

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