Pro/Forums - View Single Post - Estimating airflow through a ducted fan/heatsink

pHaestus · 10-20-2002, 11:26 AM

This very question has been coming up as Joe and I kick around ideas for testing heatsinks:

What is the airflow through the actual heatsink, and how can it be measured?

http://www.electronics-cooling.com/h...august_a3.html

"Under these conditions, measurement of the coolant flow rate is problematic since insertion of an obstruction meter, such as a laminar flow element, into the fan/heat sink test article coolant flow path will introduce an extra flow resistance, so that the operating point of the test article will be altered. This difficulty can be circumvented by using the test article fan, in conjunction with its performance curve, to determine the flow rate through the system. Only two easy measurements are required: the fan speed and the pressure rise across the fan."

Now to get appropriate pressure drop measurement gear....

10-20-2002, 11:26 AM	#1
pHaestus Big Player Making Big Money Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: irc.lostgeek.com #procooling.com Posts: 4,782	Estimating airflow through a ducted fan/heatsink This very question has been coming up as Joe and I kick around ideas for testing heatsinks: What is the airflow through the actual heatsink, and how can it be measured? http://www.electronics-cooling.com/h...august_a3.html "Under these conditions, measurement of the coolant flow rate is problematic since insertion of an obstruction meter, such as a laminar flow element, into the fan/heat sink test article coolant flow path will introduce an extra flow resistance, so that the operating point of the test article will be altered. This difficulty can be circumvented by using the test article fan, in conjunction with its performance curve, to determine the flow rate through the system. Only two easy measurements are required: the fan speed and the pressure rise across the fan." Now to get appropriate pressure drop measurement gear....