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2N3055 transistor

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Tags: Hardware, Open Source, Software

Recently, I was looking for some professional introductions of 2N3055 transistors. I found a lot of website content, and Jinftry mentioned that the maximum operating temperature of 2N3055 transistors is 150°C. The 2N3055 transistor generates a lot of heat in high-power applications, so proper heat dissipation measures are required to ensure that the operating temperature of the transistor is within an acceptable range. May I ask how to calculate and select a proper heat sink to ensure that the temperature of the 2N3055 transistor does not exceed the allowable limit value under the given operating conditions?

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Not enough detail.

In reply to 2N3055 transistor

While I did electronic designs for decades you didn’t present enough detail for me to check if your design is in trouble or not.

The datasheet looks clear enough to me about dissipation so all I can offer is my first cut, not final design decisions.
1. I use the old 2 square inch per Watt rule for selecting my heatsink size. I may have to alter this if need be due to lack of airflow or higher ambient temperatures. Or smaller if we don’t run the system at full load.
2. The 2N3055 I read on said datasheet noted 115 Watts maximum dissipation at 25C and less as the temp rises. YOU have to know what your design’s dissipation to know if your design is OK or not.
3. Some new designers think that 100C is too hot. Datasheet for this part is 200C so how do you test for that? I use a laser spot thermometer. This would be in your kit of test equipment or else you need to get one.

There are so many circuit simulators out there that I won’t get into that area of this discussion.

Using the 2 square inch per Watt rule for heatsink selection is a commonly

In reply to 2N3055 transistor

Based on the information you provided, it seems like you have experience in electronic design and are offering some initial considerations regarding the design’s dissipation and heat management.

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