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MODELING TEMPERATURE CHANGE OF A COMPUTER COMPONENT USING AN RLC CIRCUIT

Abstract

A common recurring problem in the innovation of computers is overheating. Therefore, the system requires adequate cooling to prevent damage and increase its efficiency. To better understand the cause of this overheating we can use an RLC circuit (a circuit consisting of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor) to represent a simplified model of a computer component. Using the RLC circuit we can model the computer component’s temperature change. We investigate the circuit analytically, including the heat and the power loss to find the temperature change of the system. We solve the resulting differential equation numerically in MATLAB. This problem cannot be easily solved analytically when including the radiative power loss, so we solve it numerically using the Euler-Cromer Method. The temperature behavior is oscillatory for the system. In the case where there is no cooling, the temperature builds linearly from the start at room temperature. In the case where heat is radiated from the system, the temperature oscillates about room temperature. The cooling of systems that undergo electric current is vital to the systems’ health. The cooling ensures efficiency and prevents internal damage to the system. Other substantial methods of cooling are being investigated to study further characteristics of the system's temperature behavior.

Acknowledgements

UWG Dept. of Physics, LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation) Program

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