VESC thermal management

I was wondering if you guys installed a heatsink on your VESC.

If not, did it eventually fail?

Here is the heatsink setup that i made, sadly it does not fit in my application and i am thinking of just tossing the heatsink all together

I slighty modified this heatsink, using a thermal pad / gap filler in between the fets and the heatsink.

http://www.digikey.ca/product-search/en?KeyWords=%20345-1128&WT.z_header=search_go

1 Like

Nice mod!.

Only problem is it makes it bulky. Most people want slim as possible.

On my builds with vesc I have never needed heat sinks. They don’t get hot.

Are these even the components that are likely to get hottest and need cooling? usually i’d expect i need to cool the processor? DRV and other chip? I was hoping to borrow the iPhone FLIR adapter one of the guys at work has to take a thermal pic of the board but never did borrow it (also don’t have an iphone).

Yeah hes got it right. The FET’s are the components that need heatsinks.

1 Like

Something in me doesn’t like pushing 50 + amps through fets that don’t have a heatsink. Even just a 1/8" aluminium flat bar would help alot.

I’ll post the results with a new heatsink setup, basicly both vesc will share the same heatsink, in a slimer more compact fashion

1 Like

I’m with you on that … I’ll probably sink mine too for the QLD summer and long downhill braking sessions.

I got some of these little buggers for cheap. If they don’t work, I might go with something more one off.

1 Like

I thought about getting that pack too. Let me know how it goes.

1 Like

At those prices I thought it couldn’t hurt to give em’ a shot. I got some old CPU heatsinks laying around that I might try to use if these don’t work…Eventually something has got to work! LOL

Hi guys! I’ve just made my heat sink recycled by an old graphics card.

I have bad tools at the moment but the result is good, what do you think about it?

1 Like

1 Like

How do you have that heatsink fastened to the board? Is that a plasitic zip tie? It looks super cool! Did you add any thermal paste to the tops of the mosfets before installation? :sunglasses::+1:

1 Like

Are your 3 phase connectors touching the heatsink? On the photo it looks like it, but i could wrong.

Just make sure your phases are not touching the heatsink. Knotch the heatsink w a dremel if so.

1 Like

I’ve used the two plastic screws + zip tie to allign that, the only two screws weren’t enough for me. I’ve obviously added the thermal paste :smile: I also had to include two plastic spacers that You Can see in the first pic, to let It stand perfectly on the Mosfets

Heat sink doesn’t Touch them, but it’s near :sweat: I think its ok, if the soldering will resist won’t be problems!

I’ve just made a Vesc holder for more protections, I want to take care of it :blu I’ve used a Gillette plastic box :joy: i think is too much long likw that, I think I will cut it next the capacitors

2 Likes

3 Likes

1 Like

2 Likes