Analysis of Contact Thermal Resistance in Space Remote Sensing Instrument: Theoretical and Experimental Study

Abstract

The contact thermal resistance between solid surfaces cannot achieve the observed contact area at the macroscopic scale; actual contact at the microscopic level only consists of discrete points or small areas, This paper investigates the coupled heat transfer between the refrigerator and heat pipe in a spacecraft refrigeration system. A disk computational model was established, and through thermal simulation calculations and vacuum test experiments, the contact heat transfer coefficients for dry contact, GD414 silicone rubber filler, thermal insulation pads, and thermal silicone grease were obtained. This model can be used to predict thermal coupling results in engineering applications and effectively guide engineering practices.