CFD Analysis of Portable Rugedised Electronics Equipment for Kinneir Dufort
Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis (CFD) of Ultra-fast Scanning Counter Surveillance Receiver
“We are a user centred innovation and product development consultancy. We combine creative, technical and user experience expertise to deliver world changing products and services for medical, consumer and industrial clients”.
In 2015, Kinneir Duffort (KD) were challenged to develop a new enclosure for a next generation counter-surveillance receiver, and sought the support of Form Lab to provide technical guidance on the cooling performance of the enclosure design. Kinneir Dufort has a wealth of experience spanning multiple decades across a diverse range of sectors, working on projects from the design of the Galaxy chocolate bar to enclosures & accessories for Raspberry Pi personal computers.
Form Lab provided KD with our thermal analysis service to support the redesign of the Winklemann Raptor RXi device. We offered support by carrying out Computational Fluid Dynamics (#CFD) for the enclosure design, as there were concerns with the cooling for the high power electronics required for the device. Throughout the project, we worked closely with the end customer to define thermal loads and heat transfer mechanisms. We also documented our setup and process for transparency and accountability.
Working from a combination of 3D models, 2D electrical drawings and component datasheets to define component losses and highlight ‘at risk’ components from overheating. Several studies were completed to identify the impact of cooling schemes on the thermal system and make recommendations to improve the performance and reliability of the enclosure design.
In order to carry out our analysis, we developed simplified CAD geometry suitable for internal flow domain modelling. This allowed us to use the CAD models to generate data Analysis of data to back up test results and provide insight into test results.
Our analysis identified several components that would exceed junction temperatures without additional heatsinking or improved airflow. We also identified flow stagnation in turbulent regions of the case, which allowed us to highlight areas for improvement in the number and positioning of inlet vents. The addition of flow ducting could be implemented to control the velocity and direction of airflow through the housing across specific components or modules.
The insights provided by Form Lab’s analysis prevented costly failures and potential re-design processes required to rectify. Further, the careful consideration of adequate cooling provided by our thermal analysis resulted in a design which enables increased mean time between failures for critical components at minimal development cost, enhancing the final product. This was a project which required Form Lab to employ a wide range of our skillset, including flow down & analysis specification detailing, CAD&D, de-featuring, complex model meshes, CFD, thermal systems, conjugate heat transfer, technical presentation and report writing.
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