TRIZ based Interface Conflict Resolving Strategies for Modular Product Architectures

In product development, the chosen product architecture often possesses characteristics of both modular and integral design. Within a modular architecture, a Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) model has been applied to describe modules and their interfaces. To resolve emerging interface conflicts, several strategies based on both modular and integral action have been formulated. The strategies encompass TRIZ methods, as they focus strongly on product innovation. The purpose of the presented study is to combine TRIZ techniques and FBS modeling while trying to solve interface conflicts at a low level of abstraction. The interface conflict resolving strategies have been applied on an industrial case study successfull

Integrated cooling concepts for printed circuit boards

Thermal management plays an increasingly dominant role in the design process of\ud electronic products. Component sizes decrease while performance and functional\ud demands increase, resulting in more power dissipation on smaller surfaces. In an\ud effort to cope with these growing thermal challenges, industry continuously seeks\ud cooling equipment with improved heat transfer performance. However, as thermal\ud engineering is traditionally considered toward the end of the design process, the\ud applied cooling solutions are often simply mounted onto the product. As such,\ud cooling equipment for electronics is growing out of proportion compared to the\ud electronic component it is supposed to cool.\ud This thesis describes the development of innovative cooling concepts for electronic\ud products. Thermal criteria are considered during the conceptual design phase, in\ud order to find more integrated solutions. This multidisciplinary approach strives to\ud develop improved thermal management systems for electronic products, in terms\ud of thermal performance, compactness and flexibility. To develop a cost efficient\ud solution focus is also put on utilizing standardized electronic manufacturing processes,\ud such as Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and Surface Mounted Device (SMD)\ud production technologies. Cost considerations for high product volumes, enabling\ud mass-market applications, are especially taken into account.\ud This research has led to the identification of two promising cooling concepts for\ud electronic products.\ud The first concept – directly injected cooling – is based on (jet) air cooling. By\ud manufacturing a coolant inlet port into the PCB underneath an electronic component,\ud this component can be cooled directly from the bottom side. This concept\ud excels in the area of high component density cooling, where many components on\ud an electronic board must be cooled both independently and simultaneously.\ud The second concept – integrated heat pipe cooling – integrates a passive, twophase\ud heat transport device directly into the PCB. As the heat transfer mechanism is based on phase change principles, it is capable of transporting large quantities\ud of heat. The heat pipe is constructed inside the laminated structure that makes\ud up the electronic board. This concept allows heat, dissipated by (multiple) components\ud mounted onto the PCB, to be transported through the board structure\ud with a very high efficiency.\ud For both concepts detailed analysis and experimental investigation have been\ud conducted. Both concepts show promising results compared to state-of-the-art\ud cooling systems, in terms of thermal performance and flexibility. The integrated\ud design also leads to a lighter and more compact electronic product.\ud As thermal management systems are produced integrally, a significant cost reduction\ud is reached. This is especially true for high volume production, where\ud electronic manufacturing technologies, such as PCB production and SMD assembly,\ud are appreciated for their low recurring cost. In the future, this allows\ud engineers to design electronic products featuring full integration of thermal management\ud systems and electronic circuitry.\ud This research pushes the boundary further toward more functionality in a smaller\ud form factor for electronic products at a lower cost

Physics in Design:Real-time Numerical Simulation Integrated into the CAD Environment

As today's markets are more susceptible to rapid changes and involve global players, a short time to market is required to keep a competitive edge. Concurrently, products are integrating an increasing number of functions and technologies, thus becoming progressively complex. Therefore, efficient and effective product development is essential. For early design phases, in which a large portion of the product cost is determined, it is important that different concepts can be developed and evaluated quickly. An established way of evaluating a design is using numerical methods, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA). However, setting up numerical simulations in early design phases when concepts change repeatedly is time consuming. This is largely due to the fact that for each design change concepts need to be re-meshed, boundary conditions re-applied and solutions re-calculated. In this paper, a framework is proposed that establishes a real-time connection between the CAD environment and FEA software. Simulation results are automatically updated when the CAD model is updated. Partial re-meshing and smart boundary condition re-application techniques allow for a real-time assessment of design changes. The developed framework is especially interesting for the assessment of multi-physics phenomena in early design phases, as multiple fields can be interpreted by a design engineer that is usually specialized in a specific field