Lecture 03: Flow and Thermal

Boundary Conditions

Introduction to Icepak in AEDT

Release 2019 R1
 AEDT Icepak Flow and Thermal Inputs Select geometry, right-click
→ Assign Thermal
Boundary Condition Description
Opening Create holes and allow air flow
Flow BCs

Grille Simplify perforated vents

Resistance Calibrated flow/thermal models
Fan Apply a fan curve or a fixed flow rate
Block Apply power dissipation in a volume
Network Model complex objects using thermal networks
Thermal BCs

Plate Represent thin objects

Source Apply power dissipation on a 2D surface
Wall Apply thermal BC on 2D surfaces (temperature,
heat flow, heat transfer coefficient) Use correct
EM Loss Apply heat loads from an EM design selection mode
(HFSS/Maxwell/Q3D)
for the BC type
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 AEDT Icepak Opening Object
Openings to create holes and allow air flow.

Pressure Opening Velocity Opening

Usually used for Usually used to

outlets and natural prescribe velocity at
convection inlets

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 AEDT Icepak Grille Object
Custom loss curves
Grilles to simplify perforated vents.
can be imported and
exported using tab
separated text files

Loss Coefficient
uses textbook
formulas as a
function of free
area ratio
Idelchik’s Handbook of Hydraulic Resistance
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 AEDT Icepak Resistance Object
Resistances for calibrated flow / thermal models.
Resistances are useful to model
compact heat sinks, filters, wire
Uniform bundles, power supply units, etc.
Volumetric
Power. Low Flow
Resistance

Three pressure
loss types, similar
to grille objects

High Flow
Resistance
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 AEDT Icepak Fan Object Fans are “3D
Components”
Fans to apply a fan curve or fixed flow rate.

Geometry Inputs Physical Inputs

Changes flow direction

Internal Fans must have fan

curve. Intake and Exhaust
fans can specify volume or
mass flow rates
Swirl RPM applies 5% of the axial
velocity in the tangential direction
Hub Power is usually neglected
Case Info Only for 3D Fans
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 AEDT Icepak Fan Object Fans are “3D
Components”
Fans to apply a fan curve or fixed flow rate.

2D Fans Fan Curve Panel

Can Import and Export

tab separated text files
3D Fans Data points must
include value at
zero flow rate and Use the same units
zero pressure rise defined in the model!

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 AEDT Icepak Block Object
Blocks to apply power dissipation in a volume.

Uniform External Conditions NOT Applied

Volumetric
Power

External
conditions are
only applied on
CFD boundary
faces
External Conditions Applied
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 AEDT Icepak Network Object Face Node

Networks to represent complex objects like IC packages etc.

as thermal networks

Internal Node

Specify properties of
the face node, internal
Link
node and the link that
connects different
nodes

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 AEDT Icepak Plate Object
Plates to not mesh thickness of very thin objects.

Conducting Plates Adiabatic Plates

• Can be used for thin high conductivity bodies as • Useful for baffles and non-conducting enclosures
well as adhesives and thermal interface materials • Does not allow any heat transfer
• The thickness is not meshed, but it is taken into
account in the solver

3D Conduction

Both types of plates allow

radiation surface properties
 AEDT Icepak Source Object
Sources to apply power dissipation on a 2D surface.

• Total Power
o The power is uniformly distributed as
a heat flux over all source faces.
• Surface Flux
o Applies a constant heat flux over
source faces.
• Fixed Temperature
o The solver iterates to obtain the Fields Summary to compute 0.1 W Total Heat Flow
correct power required to maintain heat flow on both sides
the specified temperature.
• Radiation
o If selected, surface properties are
applied in the radiation calculations.

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 AEDT Icepak Wall Object
Walls to apply thermal boundary conditions on 2D surfaces (temperature,
heat flow, heat transfer coefficient).
Symmetry Walls
have no inputs.
Conducting Plate Zero flux is enforced
Wall (Shell for all variables
Conduction ON)

Radiation
Properties

Useful for reducing

Boundary Condition Type problem size and
simulation time
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 AEDT Icepak – Dataset-based Boundary Conditions
• Boundary conditions can be assigned based on datasets
• Temperature dependent BCs assigned using 1D design dataset
o Supported Boundary Conditions:
▪ Power: Block, Plate, Source
▪ Heat Transfer Coefficient: Block, Wall
▪ Heat Flux: Block, Source
• Spatial profile BCs assigned using 3D design datasets
o Supported Boundary Conditions:
▪ Blocks: Power
▪ Openings: Temperature, Pressure, X/Y/Z Velocities
▪ Resistance: Power
▪ Source: Heat Flux
▪ Wall: Heat Flux, temperature, Heat Transfer Coefficient

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 AEDT Icepak EM Loss Link
EM loss to apply heat loads from an EM solver (HFSS, Maxwell, & Q3D).

Choose the EM Source Model Setup Variable Mapping Select the EM Frequency

Will automatically Mapped variable Select the correct

fill Source Design changes will be frequency to
and Solution inputs updated in Icepak compute losses
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 EM Loss Link Sanity Checks
EM losses computed in EM solver should equal those applied in Icepak.

EM Solver Fields Calculator Icepak Solution Profile Icepak Fields Summary

Right-click Setup
→ Profile

Losses are computed

in Watts

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 How to Assign Object Material Properties

From the Object Properties Panel Right-click Object in History Tree

Use Ctrl + Shift to

select many objects

OR

Select drop down List

→ Edit... to bring up
Materials Database

Surface materials must be set

from the Object Properties Panel
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 Default Material
Solid and Fluid Material Libraries
Materials Database Manager View/Edit Materials...
Tools → Edit Libraries → Materials

Search for String

or Property Display only
relevant properties

Sanity Check Inputs

Create from Scratch Duplicate Material Delete User Material

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 Surface Material Libraries Default Material

Materials Database Manager View/Edit Materials...

Tools → Edit Libraries → Surface Materials

Search for String

or Property Display only
relevant properties

Sanity Check Inputs

Create from Scratch Duplicate Material Delete User Material

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 Icepak Solution Types Full Solution Approximate Solution
• Temperature and Flow
o All CFD equations are solved
o With proper model and mesh setup, this will
provide the most accurate solution

• Temperature Only
o Only the energy equation is solved
o Typically the model will just include solids
Icepak → Solution Type
o Conduction through air can be modeled using
the Air-solid material
o The default air region is usually deleted
o Walls must allow heat to escape the domain,
otherwise the solver will diverge
• Flow Only
o Useful to optimize flow conditions, study fan
placement, characterize pressure drops, etc.
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Thank you!