Designing & Testing A Lightweight Heatsink for a SiC PV Inverter
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Team 13

Designing & Testing a Lightweight Heatsink for a SiC PV Converter is a multidisciplinary engineering project that requires 2 electrical engineering students and 3 mechanical engineering students to work together to create a cost-effective, lightweight thermal management system. This thermal system needs to dissipate heat from the power modules of a next-generation, silicon carbide photovoltaic converter. The converter is being developed by the FSU Center for Advanced Power Systems, with the intent to have the highest power density in the world. There is a flaw in the PV converter, however. The original heatsink used for it is overdesigned, proving to be cool during operation and extremely heavy. By optimizing a heatsink design, Team 13 helps reduce the system weight and thus inecrease the power density from 2.5 kW/kg to 6.5 kW/kg. The group uses simulations in COMSOL, theoretical analysis, and experimental testing to find this optimized thermal management system. It consists of 4 active pin fin heatsinks, and is a 71% reduction in weight from the original heatsink/fan assembly.

James Hutchinson

Senior CAD Designer

jrh12c@my.fsu.edu

James Hutchinson is a fifth year senior attending Florida State University, studying mechanical engineering. He is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, Golden Key Honor Society and the Foundations Chair of the Society of Engineering Entrepreneurs. His interests include CAD design, thermal fluids, and robotics. After graduation he plans on getting a job in either the energy or aerospace industry.

Leslie Dunn

Webmaster

lvd12b@my.fsu.edu

Leslie Dunn is a fifth year senior at Florida State University pursuing her B.S. in mechanical engineering. She worked part-time at the FSU Central Utilities Plant where she conducted engineering work for a back-up fuel conversion. She has also held chair positions with the FAMU-FSU Society of Women Engineers for 3 years, serving as Vice President in her senior year. After school, she will begin her career at Pratt & Whitney working as a project engineer.

Melanie Gonzalez

Team Leader & Lead Electrical Engineer

mtg12c@my.fsu.edu

Melanie Gonzalez is a fifth-year senior engineering student studying electrical engineering. Her interests include control systems and power systems engineering. She previously worked as an undergraduate research assistant at the Center for Advance Power Systems under Dr. Chris Edrington. She has attended various events that show her interest in the field of power systems such as DistribuTECH 2016 and the NREL-FEEDER Workshop 2016 where she learned about inverter technology and current research in that area. After graduation she plans to work in the power systems area related to renewable energy and smart-grid technology.

Tianna Lentino

Financial Advisor

tnl13@my.fsu.edu

Tianna Lentino is a fourth year senior electrical engineering student. Her interests include systems engineering and power systems engineering. She has spent the past two summers working as an intern with Northrop Grumman. After she graduates, Tianna plans on working with aircraft systems.