Influence of casing material on the heat transfer performance of solid-state drives under natural convection

This study investigates the impact of casing material, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and aluminum, on solid-state drive (SSD) thermal performance under natural convection. A multiphase finite volume method simulated fluid-structure interactions, with experimental validation showing a temperature deviation within 0.78%, confirming model accuracy. Results indicated that aluminum casings offer improved thermal management compared to ABS, significantly reducing the steady-state core temperatures of the chip junction (the highest temperature point of the chip core), package, heat sink, and casing. Specifically, aluminum casings lowered the junction temperature by 8.9–9.2 °C and improved heat dissipation efficiency through higher heat transfer coefficients (up to 52% greater than ABS) and reduced thermal resistance (by around 37%). Streamline velocity analysis revealed improved airflow and convection with aluminum, leading to more effective heat dissipation. Mechanistically, the thermal performance advantage of aluminum casings observed in this study originates from its high thermal conductivity, which enhances conductive heat transfer and promotes internal convective heat transfer within the SSD enclosure. Notably, ABS casings still meet SSD temperature control requirements: when paired with a heat sink, the chip junction temperature can be maintained below 70 °C. These findings highlight aluminum’s benefit for SSD in high-performance applications and provide insights for optimizing heat dissipation strategies.