Evaluation of the thermal contact resistance between bulk copper and metal foam using transient measurements

Abstract:
One of the most important issues in power electronics is the heat dissipation. A fluid flowing in a metal foam seems to be an efficient way to achieve it. However, the contact material between the metal foam and the device may have a great influence on the thermal behavior of the system and its thermal resistance therefore needs to be evaluated. A new method, developed for this purpose and based on thermal transient measurements is presented in this article and compared with a more conventional steady state method. Results show that the two methods are globally in accordance, even if transient measurements seem to underestimate thermal contact resistance.