Abstract:

In this article, the authors share their experience in distance learning of students from Plovdiv University in the engineering discipline "Thermal design of electronic equipment" in an emergency situation related to Covid 19. There are demonstrated the training opportunities and the accumulation of knowledge in the field of engineering by performing of scientific work related to the study and optimization of the temperature of a stable current generator.

High operating temperature is one of the main factors for the occurrence of damage to electronic systems. Therefore, identifying the thermal behaviour of electronic components during the design phase is crucial to ensure reliable operation without risk of overheating. Normally a large set of expensive thermal diagnostic tools and laboratories with specialized equipment are used to determine the thermal behaviour of electronic systems.

At the current critical moment, in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, students are using an Internet-based design approach and access to fully web-based CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software tools to create virtual models and test various design modifications of electronic equipment from home without physically attending specialized laboratories of the discipline "Thermal design of electronic equipment" at the University. Through the support of their academic mentors, students conduct in-depth thermal analyses that allow them to gain knowledge related to heat transfer and thermal effects, as well as the thermophysical properties of the materials used in electronic systems. Based on the obtained quantitative estimates for the temperature in different points of interest, technical solutions for optimizing the cooling of a virtual test model of a stable current generator are proposed. After gaining enough knowledge about the mechanisms of heat transfer by virtual models, the students prepared a physical prototype of the device with different cooling options. The prototype of the stable current generator contains a small number of electronic components and simple circuitry so that it can be made by students at home.

Then, using a mobile infrared camera, students performed thermal diagnostics of the prototype of the stable current generator and designed cooling solutions to check and verify the results and patterns of heat transfer in the structure obtained by virtual simulation tools. Through the conducted thermal analyses and experimental measurements, a significant reduction in the temperature of a powerful bipolar transistor, which is the main heat source of the stable current generator, was achieved. The heating of this transistor during normal work is critical for the reliable operation of the device.

The applied approach allows students to fully carry out their training in the discipline "Thermal Design of Electronic Equipment" safely, despite the difficult conditions of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Keywords:

Distance education, heat transfer, thermal management, constant current generator.