Ben Alexander, Lead Engineer, ThermAvant Technologies
As we lead up to the much anticipated launch of Thermal Management Expo, we caught up with ThermAvant Technologies’ Lead Thermal Engineer who will be speaking at the conference, Ben Alexander.
Could you tell us about your role as Lead Thermal Engineer at ThermAvant Technologies?
As a lead thermal engineer at ThermAvant, it is my job to ensure we are working closely with our customers to thoroughly understand their thermal challenges and overall program objectives. With the goal well-understood, I then provide technical leadership to a talented team to develop, execute, and validate high-performance custom solutions. We work closely with our R&D team to leverage fresh findings and bring maximum value to our customers and provide industry perspective to guide future research.
Why should thermal management be a key consideration in the design of a product?
Most high-performance systems are ultimately limited by some thermal constraint. If thermal design is not a key consideration, it is unlikely these constraints will be adequately understood and addressed. Giving early consideration to the thermal design enables better trades to be leveraged, and avoids designing in excess (or insufficient) margins for thermal, driving sub-optimal design choices. Creative thermal design often enables simultaneous optimization of size, weight, and/or performance, and the extent to which it can be leveraged is dependent on how it is prioritized.
What do you think is driving the demand for thermal management technologies (within the industries you serve / wider industries)?
For the last couple of decades, technology (semi-conductor technology in particular) has progressed at a significantly faster rate than the associated thermal management technologies. High-performance chips have reached a point where further step-changes in performance require new thermal management technologies to be developed in parallel. As performance requirements for various aerospace and defense applications for these technologies continue to push the limits of what is currently possible, we find the need for novel thermal solutions becoming increasingly critical.
What are you most looking forward to at Thermal Management Expo 2022?
I look forward to sharing with a broader group the work we are doing and the technology we’re developing. Learning about new problems that need solving is really exciting, and I look forward to meeting new people to partner with.
Finally, if you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you bring?
A metal pot. Very useful item, and one of the harder things to fashion from natural materials. If resources are plentiful, it sounds like a good time!
Ben will be speaking at the live conference at Thermal Management Expo, and will be sharing his expertise in thermal management system selection, alongside a panel of expert speakers. To find out more about the conference agenda, please click here.
