A low-noise and high-performance "inclined fan-blowing-upward structure" for full high definition plasma display panel television sets was developed by using computational fluid dynamics with heat transfer based on a Cartesian grid system. In the conventional structure, the plasma panel and boards are cooled by fans and upward flow induced by natural convection. However, simulation results indicated that low-temperature flows between the bottom and rear inlets and fans are formed along the back cover, and the flows are not sufficiently supplied to the plasma panel and address-driver modules. Our solution is to mount the cooling fans inclined to the plasma panel so that the flows produced by the fans impinge on the panel to supply the low-temperature air to the panel and address-driver modules directly. In the new structure, larger fans can be used because fans are mounted inclined. With the larger fans, the rotation speed of the fans can be reduced, and the flow rate is increased. The experimental results show that the temperature of the panel and address-driver modules decreases respectively 3℃ and 8℃ at the same noise output level. The cooling structure was applied to a 50" class Full-HD PDP TV set, which achieved the industry's leading contrast ratio of 30,000:1 in April 2008.
