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Thermal Contact ConductanceThe performance of cryogenic instruments is often a function of their operating temperature. Thus, designers of cryogenic instruments often are required to predict the operating temperature of each instrument they design. This requires accurate thermal models of cryogenic components which include the properties of the materials and assembly techniques used. When components are bolted or otherwise pressed together, a knowledge of the thermal performance of such joints are also needed. In some cases, the temperature drop across these joints represents a significant fraction of the total temperature difference between the instrument and its cooler. While extensive databases exist on the thermal properties of bulk materials, similar databases for pressed contacts do not. This has often lead to instrument designs that avoid pressed contacts or to the over-design of such joints at unnecessary expense. Although many people have made measurements of contact conductances at cryogenic temperatures, this data is often very narrow in scope and even more often it has not been published in an easily retrievable fashion, if published at all. This paper presents a summary of the limited pressed contact data available in the literature.
Document ID
19970026086
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Salerno, Louis J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Kittel, Peter
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
February 1, 1997
Subject Category
Physics (General)
Report/Patent Number
A-975428
NASA-TM-110429
NAS 1.15:110429
Accession Number
97N25435
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 632-30-34
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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