Thermal contact resistance on elastoplastic nanosized contact spots

탄소성접촉면의 나노스케일 열접촉저항

The thermal contact resistance(TCR) of nanosized contact spots has been investigated through a multiscale analysis which considers the resolution of surface topography. A numerical simulation is performed on the finite element model of rough surfaces. Especially, as the contact size decreases below the phonon mean free path, the size dependent thermal conductivity is considered to calculate the TCR. In our earlier model which follows an elastic material, the TCR increases without limits as the number of nanosized contact spots increases in the process of scale variation. However, the elastoplastic contact induces a finite limit of TCR as the scale varies. The results are explained through the plastic behavior of the two contacting models. Furthermore, the effect of air conduction in nanoscale is also investigated.