Reference: Renaud, J.E., G.A. Gabriele., 1992, “Approximation in Non-Hierarchic System Optimization,” Fourth AIAA/USAF/NASA/OAI Symposium on Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization, Cleveland, OH, Sep 21-23, pp1034-1035.
Description: The electronic packaging problem has two subsystems, the thermal design space and circuit design space with couplings between them. The problem involves mounting of two resistors on a heat sink subject to cooling air flow. The circuit is made to function such that the current is divided equally among the resistors which contribute to a constraint. The temperatures affect the resistance of the components, while the resistances are affected by operating temperatures. The objective of the problem is to maximize the watt density of the package subject to constraints which include the operating temperatures to be below the threshold temperatures. Watt density is equal to the total power dissipated by the circuit divided by the volume of the heat sink.