This project establishes an undergraduate laboratory in which the thermal behavior of electronics is used as a means of teaching the fundamentals of heat transfer. Essential heat transfer principles are taught using apparatuses that model or simulate actual thermal characteristics of electronic components and systems. This laboratory supports a heat transfer course required of Mechanical Engineering Technology majors at the university. Ancillary uses of the laboratory in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and electronics courses are also supported. As a result of the dramatic increase of electronic packaging densities driven by requirements for more computing power and real-time communications, thermal control of electronics has become a critical technology. The degree and specificity of heat transfer education invoked by this technology pose unique demands on today's technology graduates. This project helps satisfy those demands by introducing engineering technology students to thermal control techniques for electronic equipment. Because thermal engineering of electronics has been identified as a critical technology for the economic competitiveness of the United States, this project has the potential of having a significant impact.
