FloTHERM® Tutorial:

Design Optimization
Software Version 11.3
October 2016

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Loading a Project
We will create a new project using the supplied default template.
1. Start FloTHERM
All Programs>MentorMA>FloTHERM<version>>FloTHERM<version>>
The default project opens, see Figure 1.

Figure 1: DefaultSI Project

2. Select Project > Load to open an existing project, choose the project from the
introductory tutorial and click OK
3. Select Project > Save As to open the Save Project dialog, enter the following and click
OK:
Project Name: Heatsink Optimization

................. TIP: If project isn’t available choose Project>Import Project>PDML and open
pdml file located at:

E:\FloTHERMVirtualLabData\Tutorials\Tutorial_02_Optimization\
FloTHERM_Vlab_Tutorial_02_Start.pdml

Create New PCB Assembly

The solution domain and PCB location has been defined from the previous model. To model a
PCB in FloTHERM use FloEDA Bridge.
1. Click the FloEDA Bridge icon as shown in Figure 2. The FloEDA Bridge will launch as a
separate window.
Figure 2: FloEDA Bridge

2. With “MotherBoard” selected in the node tree modify the size [mm] of the PCB, modeling
level to “Trend”, and deselect Auto-Grid in the property sheet:
Length = 150, Width = 100, Z = 1.6

................. TIP: To change values the mouse cursor must remain in the text field area.

................. TIP: “Accurate” will model PCB layers and Heatsink fins explicitly. “Trend”
models the PCB with and effective thermal conductivity and heatsink fins
with a computationally compact representation.

................. TIP: Auto-Grid will automatically create a grid independent mesh for the PCB
assembly.
The Property sheet should now appear as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: PCB Size and Modeling Choices

Add a Library Component to PCB
Add a Two-Resistor model of an IC Component from the Library.
1. Click the Library icon as shown in Figure 2. The part library will become visible.
2. Expand the library node and locate “PBGAFC_40x40mm_2R” under Component Starter
Pack>BGA>FC_PBGA. A two-resistor model (2R) is a compact thermal network model
with junction-to-case and junction-to-board thermal resistances.
3. Double click on IC component library part to add to the FloEDA Bridge model tree.

Figure 4: Show Library and Add Component

4. Center the component, U1, on the PCB by selecting the MotherBoard node and then the
U1 node. Once selected choose the horizontal and vertical alignment as shown in
Figure 5.

Figure 5: Center U1 on MotherBoard

 5. Select Show Library icon to hide library.
6. Select U1 in the node tree. In the property sheet change the Power to 8W.

Add a Heatsink to U1
1. With U1 selected in the node tree add a heatsink (represented as a child of U1):

Figure 6: Add Heatsink to U1

................. TIP: Many choices are available for modeling the Heatsink, the default is a plate
fin heatsink.

................. TIP: A default Thermal Interface is included but may be changed.

2. Choose File>Save in FloEDA Bridge and provide a name.

........... TIP: The information in FloEDA Bridge is saved so that if we need to modify later
there is a starting point.
3. Choose File>Transfer and Quit to transfer the PCB Assembly to the FloTHERM model
and exit FloEDA Bridge.

................. TIP: A new assembly is created in the FloTHERM model that defines the PCB,
Top Attach, and Bottom Attach

Position and Orient the PCB

Align the new assembly with the existing PCB Cuboid.
1. Select the PCB cuboid in the node tree and click Assembly as shown in Figure 7.
A new assembly is added that has the same position of the PCB cuboid, as shown in
Figure 8.
 Figure 7: Create New Assembly

Figure 8: Assembly Location

2. Rename Assembly to PCB Assembly.

3. Drag and Drop the MotherBoard Assembly into PCB Assembly.
The MotherBoard is moved from the original location to the new location.

4. Delete the original PCB and Component cuboids.

................. TIP: Rather than delete you may choose to De-activate the objects under their
Location property sheet.
Model the Heatsink as Detailed
To optimize the heatsink performance a detailed representation is required.
1. Expand the MotherBoard Assembly to locate the heatsink under Top
Attach>U1…>TopAttach>Heatsink

................. Tip: To quickly expand all assemblies click F6 on the keyboard (F4 collapses all
assemblies).
2. Select the Heatsink in the node tree.
3. In the Construction property sheet change Modeling Method to “Detailed”

Modify the Computational Mesh

1. Select the TopAttach node MotherBoard>TopAttach
2. Click the “Inflate Grid” icon as shown in Figure 9
A grid constraint is added to the object with a default setting of 1 grid cell at 5% of the
object length.

3. Click the “Toggle Localize Grid” icon to reduce the number of grid cells and improve the
grid quality. The updated grid is shown in Figure 10.

Figure 9: Inflate Grid

 Figure 10: Localized Grid

Add more grid to the heatsink area by adjusting grid constraint.

4. Select the “TopAttach” node. Under the Attachments tab in the property sheet click Edit
under Grid Constraint.
The Attribute Data opens under the Project Tab as shown in Figure 11.

................. TIP: The grid constraint created when using the inflation option uses a default
name of object name concatenated with “_a”.
 Figure 11: Grid Constraint Attribute Data

5. Modify the “Min. No / Max. Size” to a Maximum Size of 2 mm as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Heatsink Grid Maximum Size

Include Thermal Radiation

By default FloTHERM simulates conduction and convection. When considering natural
convection radiation becomes a significant model of heat transfer and must be simulated for
accurate temperature prediction.