Cut a hole in the PCB directly below them.

Physically mount them elevated from the PCB.

Make small heatsinks out of a piece of AL extrusion normally used to make 
window screens. The diode snaps into the place where the screen bead 
normally goes.

Bob Ammerman
RAm Systems


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Russell McMahon" <apptech@paradise.net.nz>
To: "PIC List" <PICLIST@mit.edu>
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 11:55 AM
Subject: [EE] Heatsinking 1N400x diodes.. .


> Has anyone successfully heat sunk 1N400x diodes?
>
> Filtering out the
>
>    - add more copper
>    - change the orientation/location/...
>    - use larger diodes
>    - use a bridge
>    - use a fan
>    - liquid cool / heat pipe / transcendental meditation ...
>    - get a life ...
>
> responses :-)
>
> I'm actually interested in things done to get more heat out of 1N400x
> diodes.
> PCB copper is about at a maximum.
> Lead lengths are small (which is meant to be best)
> They are where they are at present.
> They are operating within nominal spec but get far hotter than I'd
> like them to.
> (They handle under 1A mean but current is pulsed at rather more so
> heating is disproportionately high
>
> 16 diodes are in two parallel rows of 8
> I vaguely toyed with the idea of clamping a heatsink bar along a row.
> Contact an issue - thermal goo or conductive washer.
> Uneven mounting height an issue.
> I can imagine that even a very modestly sized an L or inverse T of
> aluminum in conduct with the diode bodies would offer far better
> cooling than at present.
>
> Coating in a thermally conductive compound that doesn't creep may
> assist. And may not.
>
> Thoughts? Experiences?
>
>
>        Russell McMahon
>
>
>
>
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