Heat Sink For LM Series Voltage Regulator

A heat sink is a piece of metal engineered to dissipate the maximum thermal energy into the ambient surroundings. It assists a component to remain below its maximum operating junction temperature by drawing this energy away, thereby preventing damage through excessive temperatures. All electronic components dissipate heat, and usually, their package (body) is sufficient to dissipate it into the surroundings, however, voltage regulators such as a 7805, 7812, LM317T, require assistance if they are to operate to their extreme limits.