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A comparison of elastic and plastic contact models for the prediction of thermal contact conductance

Ein Vergleich von elastischen und plastischen Kontaktmodellen zur Voraussage von thermischen Kontaktwiderständen

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Abstract

Experimentally determined thermal contact resistance (conductance) data are compared with predictions based on two different theories. One of the theories assumes elastic contact, while the other theory is based on the assumption of plastic contact. Even though the high plastic index calculated for the contacting surface suggested that contacting asperities would deform plastically, the experimental data generally agree better with the predictions obtained using the elastic contact model than with the predictions obtained using the plastic contact model.

Zusammenfassung

Gemessene Werte von thermischen Kontaktwiderständen wurden mit Werten verglichen, die mit Hilfe zweier verschiedener Modellvorstellungen erhalten wurden. Eine dieser Modellvorstellungen beruht auf der Annahme von elastischem Kontakt, während das zweite Modell plastischen Kontakt annimmt. Obwohl der hohe Wert eines Plastizitätsindexes auf eine plastische Verformung der Rauhigkeiten der sich berührenden Oberflächen hinweist, stimmen die gemessenen Kontaktwiderstände besser mit den Widerständen überein, die mit Hilfe des elastischen Kontaktmodells berechnet wurden.

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Abbreviations

a :

contact radius

A a :

actual area of contact

A n :

nominal contact area

b :

flux tube radius

c :

constriction ratio

C c :

normalized contact conductance

d :

separation of summit mean planes

D sum :

density of summits

E*:

equivalent elastic modulus

g(c):

constriction alleviation factor

h c :

contact conductance

H b :

bulk hardness

H :

Vickers micro-hardness

k :

thermal conductivity

m i :

moments of profile power spectral density

N :

number of contacts

P :

contact pressure

Q :

heat flow

R :

mean peak radius

R s :

mean summit radius

R c :

thermal contact resistance

ΔT :

temperature difference across interface

α :

bandwidth parameter

Ψ :

plasticity index

ν :

Poisson ratio

σ :

standard deviation of profile height distribution

σ s :

standard deviation of summit height distribution

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Precision Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 20899, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

    T. H. McWaid

  2. Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, 93106-5070, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    E. Marschall

Authors
  1. T. H. McWaid
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  2. E. Marschall
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McWaid, T.H., Marschall, E. A comparison of elastic and plastic contact models for the prediction of thermal contact conductance. Wärme - und Stoffübertragung 28, 441–448 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539674

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