Description
Our team was assigned the task by General Atomics to investigate the connection between two relationships, thermal contact resistance (TCR) and contact pressure as well as Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) leakage and contact pressure. In order to explore and understand how to ensure proper thermal conduction and mitigate EMI leakage, our team has set out to establish tests to gather data on these complex relationships. Our Mechanical Engineers have created a clamping device to apply known forces onto heated sample metals in order to analyze how pressure directly affects the TCR across the contacting area between the tested samples. Our Electrical Engineers have created an EMI device, which is tested in a controlled environment, to measure how much EMI is detected by exterior antennas when the device is clamped under given pressures. To join both aspects of the project, the mechanical device is designed to adjust and thus allows for clamping of the sample metals and EMI device during testing. As this problem arose due to poor thermal conductivity and EMI leakage by General Atomics’ electronics, the test procedures established by our team will allow General Atomic engineers to determine ideal contact pressure and material use for containment in their payloads.
Integrated Contact Pressure Exploration (ICE)
Our team was assigned the task by General Atomics to investigate the connection between two relationships, thermal contact resistance (TCR) and contact pressure as well as Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) leakage and contact pressure. In order to explore and understand how to ensure proper thermal conduction and mitigate EMI leakage, our team has set out to establish tests to gather data on these complex relationships. Our Mechanical Engineers have created a clamping device to apply known forces onto heated sample metals in order to analyze how pressure directly affects the TCR across the contacting area between the tested samples. Our Electrical Engineers have created an EMI device, which is tested in a controlled environment, to measure how much EMI is detected by exterior antennas when the device is clamped under given pressures. To join both aspects of the project, the mechanical device is designed to adjust and thus allows for clamping of the sample metals and EMI device during testing. As this problem arose due to poor thermal conductivity and EMI leakage by General Atomics’ electronics, the test procedures established by our team will allow General Atomic engineers to determine ideal contact pressure and material use for containment in their payloads.
Comments
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Codd