Natural convection on inclined QFN32 electronic package generating constant volumetric heat flux

Qualification and quantification of the natural convective phenomena are examined in the case of a Quad Flat Non-lead (QFN32). This active electronic package is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane by an angle varying between 0° and 90° corresponding to the horizontal and vertical position respectively. It generates during its operation a constant volumetric heat flux leading to Rayleigh numbers varying in the range 1.31x107 ‐ 1.01x108. The walls of the large air-filled cubic cavity containing this device are maintained isothermal. The temperature and velocity fields are presented for different combinations of the Rayleigh number and inclination angle. The convective heat transfer concerning the whole component exchange surface is determined for all the treated configurations. Correlations of Nusselt–Rayleigh type are proposed. They allow optimizing the thermal design of electronic assemblies used in various engineering domains.