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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

ISBN Print: 0-89116-909-1

International Heat Transfer Conference 9
August, 19-24, 1990 , Jerusalem, Israel

THE EFFECT OF CLUSTERING IN THERMAL CONTACT RESISTANCE

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC9.430
pages 517-522

Abstract

In the last decade considerable progress has been made in the analysis of thermal constriction resistance with spatially periodic models. Most of these models have treated all the contact areas as identical and regularly arranged, thereby reducing the problem to a cell with one contact area. The general problem of randomly positioned contacts, however, is a considerably more difficult one. One important effect arising from some level of 'disorder' is the clustering of contact areas. In the present analysis a first step is taken in that direction by the introduction of a slight degree of disorder, relatively speaking. In particular, the resistance due to an ordered set of clusters of contact areas is examined. Among the cases treated analytically are the clusters of 4 and 9 circular contacts in square arrays. Here, the temperature fields around the circular contacts are clearly not identical for each and every contact, except in special cases. The results indicate that the for a given area fraction of contact, the clustering plays an important role in the determination of contact resistance. In general, it is found that the resistance increases with clustering.