Matthew I. Campbell, Cristina H. Amon, Jonathan Cagan,
and Simon Szykman
Department of Mechanical Engineering and
Engineering Design Research Center
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
The difficulties in determining proper component layout within a system are compounded by issues such as heat dissipation. This work introduces an algorithm using simulated annealing that performs component layout while incorporating concerns for heat transfer-related issues. A hierarchical approach to the heat transfer analysis is established that, when used in conjunction with the simulated annealing algorithm, produces final designs that are densely packed and free from overheating. Examples of two and three-dimensional layouts are shown.