Research Paper Thermal management and heat transfer enhancement of electronic devices using integrative phase change material (PCM) and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) heat sinks Mohamed G. Gado * Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering - Mataria, Helwan University, P.O. 11718, Cairo, Egypt ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Electronic thermal management Phase change material (PCM) Reliability Temperature cycling Temperature reduction Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) ABSTRACT This study focuses on the thermal management of electronic components using phase change materials (PCM) with triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures. Three PCM-TPMS heat sinks (PCM-Gyroid, PCM-IWP, and PCM-Primitive) are examined, compared to pure PCM heat sinks. The heat sinks are evaluated under pulsed power sources with passive and active cooling. The effect of varying TPMS relative densities (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %) is also analyzed. The results indicate that PCM-TPMS heat sinks significantly accelerate the melting interfaces of PCM and provide improved heat transfer paths. They effectively scatter and reduce the base tem- perature of electronic components, with average values of 61.9 ◦ C and 34.9 ◦ C, compared to higher temperatures for pure PCM heat sinks under passive and active cooling, respectively. Increasing the relative density of TPMS structures from 10 % to 30 % leads to a slight improvement in base temperature reduction for the different TPMS structures. Among the three TPMS configurations, the PCM-Gyroid heat sinks are found to be the most effective in reducing base temperatures compared to PCM-IWP and PCM-Primitive heat sinks. Additionally, the use of PCM-TPMS significantly enhances the reliability and durability of electronic components by mitigating thermal cycling. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of PCM-TPMS heat sinks in improving the thermal man- agement and performance of electronic components. 1. Introduction With the advancement and miniaturization of electronic compo- nents, intensification, and thermal management are gaining consider- able interest, ensuring that effective heat dissipation does not jeopardize the safety, reliability, and performance of the electronic components [1]. As the power and packing density of electronic components esca- late, the accumulated heat within a limited area also experiences a significant surge [2]. Consequently, this results in alarmingly elevated temperatures, making electronic devices more vulnerable and leading to malfunction [3]. Furthermore, a noteworthy 55 % of electronic component failures can be attributed exclusively to escalated tempera- tures [4,5], highlighting excessive heating over 45 ◦ C is improper for portable electronic devices [6]. The temperature cycling and overloads adversely cause thermal stresses, noting that a deliberate temperature cycling of more than 20 ◦ C, inevitably increases the failure rate of electronic components by eightfold [7]. The signal-to-noise ratio of the device was weakened by local overheating and the significant thermal gradient within the chip, resulting in a rapid decline in the performance and reliability of electronic devices [8]. The operation of the electronic components could be worsened as a result of shock and vibration, which should be considered to improve the reliability of the electronic design. Therefore, thermal management is considered a bottleneck in the development of electronic components, to operate under reasonable conditions. Consequently, adopting resilient thermal management techniques could significantly upgrade the reliability and durability of electronic devices. Two commonly employed cooling methods in the realm of electronic cooling are categorized as direct and indirect cooling techniques [9]. Direct cooling encompasses air cooling [10], spray and jet impingement cooling [11,12], immersion cooling [13], and droplet electrowetting [14]. On the other hand, indirect cooling involves the utilization of a microchannel [15,16], heat pipe [17], vapor chamber [18], thermo- electric [19], and phase change material (PCM) [20]. The thermal management concepts are categorized as active and passive cooling methods [21]. The primary distinction lies in the fact that passive cooling techniques rely on natural convection, whereas active cooling * Corresponding author at: Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering - Mataria, Helwan University, P.O. 11718 Cairo, Egypt. E-mail address: gaber.m-gado@m-eng.helwan.edu.eg. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Applied Thermal Engineering journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.124504 Received 18 June 2024; Received in revised form 24 September 2024; Accepted 28 September 2024 Applied Thermal Engineering 258 (2025) 124504 Available online 30 September 2024 1359-4311/© 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.