Electrical Contacts Under Thermal and Electrical Stress: Analytical and Experimental Investigations

Аннотация

Electrical contacts play a crucial role in various electrical and electronic systems, where their performance is significantly influenced by thermal and electrical stresses. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the electrical-thermal behavior of electrical contacts using both analytical modeling and experimental validation. The analytical approach involves the development of mathematical models to predict contact resistance, temperature rise, and degradation mechanisms under different loading conditions. Experimental studies are conducted to validate the theoretical predictions and provide insights into material behavior, contact wear, and failure mechanisms. The findings highlight the interplay between electrical and thermal effects, emphasizing the importance of contact material properties, surface roughness, and environmental conditions. This work contributes to the optimization of electrical contact design for improved reliability and efficiency in practical application. Keywords: Electrical contacts, contact resistance, thermal stress, electrical stress, analytical modeling, experimental analysis, contact degradation, material behavior, reliability, electrical-thermal performance. performance of electrical contacts through both Introduction: Road Electrical contacts are fundamental analytical modeling and experimental investigations. components in electrical and electronic systems, The analytical approach develops mathematical enabling the transmission of electrical signals and models to predict contact resistance, temperature rise, power between conductive elements. Their and degradation mechanisms under varying conditions. performance is influenced by multiple factors, Complementary experimental studies validate these including electrical loading, thermal effects, material models and provide insights into real-world properties, and environmental conditions. The performance. By combining theoretical and empirical reliability of electrical contacts is particularly critical in analyses, this work offers a comprehensive high-power applications, where thermal and electrical understanding of the key factors affecting electrical stresses can lead to contact degradation, increased contact performance under thermal and electrical resistance, and eventual failure. stress. When an electrical current passes through a contact The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: interface, the constriction of current flow at micro- Section 2 discusses the theoretical background and asperities results in localized heating, known as Joule analytical modeling approach. Section 3 details the heating. This thermal stress can cause softening, experimental setup and methodology. Section 4 oxidation, and material migration, ultimately affecting presents the results and discussion, comparing the contact's electrical performance. Simultaneously, analytical predictions with experimental findings. electrical stress can induce arcing, erosion, and Finally, Section 5 concludes with key insights and degradation of the contact surface. Understanding potential future research directions. these interactions is essential for optimizing contact materials, geometries, and operating conditions to METHODS enhance reliability and efficiency. To comprehensively analyze the electrical-thermal This study aims to analyze the electrical-thermal performance of electrical contacts under thermal and American Journal of Applied Science and Technology 1 https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajast American Journal of Applied Science and Technology (ISSN: 2771-2745) electrical stress, both analytical modeling and A thermal camera with an infrared resolution of 640 × experimental investigations were conducted. This 480 pixels was used to capture the temperature section describes the methodology used to develop distribution across the contact interface. theoretical models, the experimental setup employed Simultaneously, resistance measurements were taken for validation, and the procedures followed for data using a four-wire Kelvin method to minimize lead and collection and analysis. contact resistance errors. The contact surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Analytical Modeling before and after testing to assess morphological The analytical approach aims to model the electrical changes due to electrical and thermal stress. and thermal interactions at the contact interface. The Test Procedure contact resistance, which significantly influences the overall performance of electrical contacts, was Each experiment was conducted in a controlled determined using Holm’s theory and Greenwood- environment to ensure consistency. The procedure Williamson’s asperity-based model. These models followed these steps: account for the constriction resistance due to surface Sample Preparation: Contact samples were cleaned roughness and the real contact area, which is using isopropyl alcohol and dried to remove surface influenced