Heat Sinks

G

gary350

Well-Known Member

• Apr 26, 2023

• #1

Lawn mower aluminum engine heads make excellent heat sinks $1 each at scrap metal yard costs much less than new heat sinks. All I need to do is drill and tap a screw hole. They even have several mounting holes. This IRFP460C mosfet will stay very cool. It beats paying crazy prices for electronic heat sinks.

 

Last edited: Apr 26, 2023

S

schmitt trigger

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Apr 26, 2023

• #2

Excellent tip!
I bet this “heatsink” is good for a couple hundred watts with some airflow.
It could be used in a steampunk amplifier. You could even add a spark plug for decorative purposes.

 

Tony Stewart

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Apr 26, 2023

• #3

I wonder how much surface roughness there is and how that impacts Rjc.

 

S

schmitt trigger

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Apr 26, 2023

• #4

Good point Tony

 

audioguru

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Apr 27, 2023

• #5

Thermal compound is not good enough to allow enough heat transfer with those deep scratches and dirt.

 

Attachments

• mower heatsink.png

  411.5 KB · Views: 238

crutschow

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Apr 27, 2023

• #6

gary350 said:

Lawn mower aluminum engine heads make excellent heat sinks $1 each at scrap metal yard costs much less than new heat sinks.

Click to expand...

As lone as the scrap yard is close enough so the cost of the gas to drive there and back is less than what you saved.