Heat transfer through gas layers of contact interfaces formed by two microscopically rough surfaces is studied. Rarefied gas conduction between smooth parallel plates is examined with data obtained from the literature. Two important dimensionless parameters are introduced; one representing the ratio of the rarefied gas resistance to the continuum gas resistance, and the other representing gas rarefaction effects. Effects of gas rarefaction and surface roughness are studied in relation to the parallel plates case. It is proposed that the effective gap thickness at light loads may be estimate by a roughness parameter, the maximum peak height Rp. Experiments were performed to measure gap conductance for a number of Stainless Steel 304 pairs and Nickel 200 pairs over a range of roughnesses and gas pressures. Three different types of gases, helium, argon, and nitrogen, were employed as the interstitial gas. The comparison between the theory and the measured values of gap conductance shows excellent agreement.
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Thermal Gap Conductance of Conforming Surfaces in Contact
S. Song,
S. Song
International Business Machine Corporation, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
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M. M. Yovanovich,
M. M. Yovanovich
Microelectronics Heat Transfer Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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F. O. Goodman
F. O. Goodman
Department of Applied Mathematics and Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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S. Song
International Business Machine Corporation, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
M. M. Yovanovich
Microelectronics Heat Transfer Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering
F. O. Goodman
Department of Applied Mathematics and Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
J. Heat Transfer. Aug 1993, 115(3): 533-540 (8 pages)
Published Online: August 1, 1993
Article history
Received:
April 1, 1992
Revised:
February 1, 1993
Online:
May 23, 2008
Citation
Song, S., Yovanovich, M. M., and Goodman, F. O. (August 1, 1993). "Thermal Gap Conductance of Conforming Surfaces in Contact." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. August 1993; 115(3): 533–540. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2910719
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