Heatsink Design Academy 13 Modules Interactive

Master Heat Sink Design
from Thermal Fundamentals to FPGA & Power Supply Projects

A complete thermal engineering curriculum covering conduction, convection, and radiation, thermal resistance networks, heatsink geometry, materials, and TIM selection — with a guided design wizard and two real capstone projects: a 25 W FPGA and a 500 W DC-DC power supply.

13
Core Modules
8h+
Learning Time
1
Design Wizard
2
Capstone Projects

Core Modules

Complete these 13 modules in order. Each builds on the previous.

01
Introduction to Thermal Engineering
Why electronics generate heat, junction temperature limits, and the real cost of overheating — from a 10 W regulator to a 350 W power module.
Lesson~30 min
02
Heat Transfer Fundamentals
Conduction, convection, and radiation with interactive simulations and engineering plots.
Lesson~45 min
03
Thermal Resistance Networks
The junction-to-air resistance chain (RJC, RCS, RSA) with interactive calculators and step-by-step analysis.
Lesson~40 min
04
Heatsink Fundamentals
Fin efficiency, fin density, base thickness, aspect ratio, and manufacturing methods (extrusion, skiving, bonded fin, die casting).
Lesson~35 min
05
Heatsink Geometry Selection
Interactive decision tree for choosing the right heatsink type — pin-fin, straight-fin, or folded-fin — based on your airflow and space constraints.
Lesson~30 min
06
Natural Convection Cooling
Fin spacing optimization, the chimney effect, and orientation effects, with design calculators for buoyancy-driven airflow.
Lesson~40 min
07
Forced Convection Cooling
Fan curves, system pressure drop, and air velocity analysis with an interactive airflow calculator.
Lesson~45 min
08
Heatsink Material Selection
Aluminum vs. copper vs. graphite vs. vapor chambers — weight, conductivity, and cost-performance trade-offs.
Lesson~25 min
09
Thermal Interface Materials (TIM)
TIM selection (pads, greases, phase-change, epoxies), gap-filling mechanics, and how much junction temperature a bad bond line costs you.
Lesson~30 min
DW
Heatsink Design Wizard
Guided engineering workflow — from power dissipation and ambient requirements to a complete heatsink recommendation.
Interactive~60 min
C1
Project: FPGA Thermal Design
Design a heatsink for a Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA dissipating 25 W — full datasheet extraction through thermal validation.
Capstone~3 hrs
C2
Project: Power Supply Thermal Design
Design cooling for a 500 W DC-DC converter with 18 W of MOSFET losses — natural and forced convection analysis compared.
Capstone~3 hrs
13
Final Review & Knowledge Check
Automated design review checklist covering thermal, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and mechanical constraints.
Review~1 hr

Extras

A quick-start demo and your course certificate.

D
Heatsink Design in 5 Minutes — Interactive Demo
A quick tour of the core heat sink design concepts and thermal trade-offs.
Demo5 min
CF
Course Certificate
Download your Rising Edge Heatsink Design Academy certificate after completing all modules and both capstone projects.
Certificate

Prerequisites

This course assumes foundational electronics knowledge. You should be comfortable with:

Ohm's Law and the thermal-electrical resistance analogy
Basic power dissipation (P = I²R, P = IV)
Familiarity with component packaging and PCB layout
Reading component datasheets