How can aluminum alloy power supply housings meet the thermal management requirements of high-power LEDs or power electronic equipment?
Publish Time: 2026-01-29
Aluminum alloy power supply housings maximize heat dissipation efficiency through structural design, making them a key element in the thermal management of high-power LED lighting and power electronic equipment. Good thermal design not only improves system reliability but also extends component lifespan and reduces failure rates. The following sections explain how to achieve efficient heat dissipation through structural design, covering five aspects: material selection, structural optimization, surface treatment, airflow organization, and simulation verification.1. Prioritizing Aluminum Alloys with Excellent Thermal ConductivityAluminum alloys are the preferred material for power supply housings due to their low density, good thermal conductivity, ease of processing, and moderate cost. They are suitable for extruded heat sink fin structures; 6061 has higher strength but is slightly more difficult to process; ADC12 is a die-cast alloy, suitable for complex shapes but with slightly lower thermal conductivity. In high-power applications, alloys with high thermal conductivity and anodizable properties, such as 6063-T5, should be prioritized, ensuring the material is free of defects such as pores and inclusions to guarantee a continuous heat conduction path.2. Optimize Fin Structure to Enhance Convection Heat TransferThe core of heat dissipation efficiency lies in increasing the effective heat dissipation area and air convection efficiency. A typical approach is to design vertical or inclined heat dissipation fins on the outer side of the casing. Fin spacing needs to balance natural convection and forced air cooling: for natural convection, a spacing of 8–15 mm is recommended to avoid overlapping "thermal boundary layers"; for forced air cooling, this can be reduced to 3–6 mm. At the same time, fin height is not always better the higher it is; excessive height increases thermal resistance and manufacturing difficulties, and is generally controlled at 30–60 mm. Using variable cross-section, corrugated, or interdigitated fins can further turbulent the airflow and improve the heat transfer coefficient.3. Enhance Internal Heat Conduction Path DesignThe process of heat transfer from the heat source to the casing is crucial. Thermal pads, thermal grease, or embedded copper blocks/heat pipes should be placed between the PCB and the casing to form a low thermal resistance path. The inner wall of the casing can be locally thickened or have raised protrusions added to directly contact the heat source area, shortening the heat conduction distance. For multi-heat-source layouts, a "heat island" design concept can be adopted, concentrating high-power devices in the optimal heat dissipation area and achieving lateral temperature uniformity through an aluminum substrate or metal-core PCB.4. Surface Treatment Enhances Radiation and Corrosion ResistanceWhile convection is the primary heat dissipation method, thermal radiation cannot be ignored in enclosed or low-wind-speed environments. Black anodizing of the aluminum alloy casing can increase the surface emissivity from 0.05–0.1 to over 0.8, significantly enhancing radiative heat dissipation. Simultaneously, the anodized layer provides insulation and corrosion resistance, making it suitable for outdoor or humid environments. Care should be taken to avoid excessive surface roughening to prevent affecting assembly accuracy or dust accumulation clogging fin gaps.5. Iterative Optimization Combined with CFD Simulation and Experimental VerificationBefore structural finalization, thermal simulations should be performed using computational fluid dynamics software to simulate the temperature and flow field distributions under different operating conditions. Through parametric modeling, the impact of variables such as fin density, airflow direction, and inlet/outlet positions on hotspot temperatures can be quickly evaluated. The final prototype needs to undergo temperature rise testing to verify that the temperature at key points is below the component junction temperature limit, and structural details will be fine-tuned accordingly.In summary, the efficient heat dissipation of aluminum alloy power supply housing is not determined by a single factor, but rather by the collaborative design of materials, geometry, interfaces, surfaces, and the system. Through scientific structural optimization, passive heat dissipation capabilities can be significantly improved without adding fans or liquid cooling systems, meeting the increasingly stringent thermal management requirements of high-power-density electronic devices.
