Non-linear interface thermal conditions in three-dimensional thermoelastic contact problems

Abstract

In this paper, a new and robust formulation to solve three-dimensional thermomechanical contact problems under non-linear interface thermal contact (ITC) conditions is presented. This methodology allows us to consider non-linear thermal contact conductance, including the presence of thermal interface materials (TIM), and convective conditions at the interstitial contact region. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is assumed in order to compute the thermoelastic influence coefficients. The interface thermomechanical contact methodology is based on an augmented Lagrangian formulation where an efficient iterative Uzawa type scheme of resolution is proposed. The methodology is validated by comparison with benchmark solutions and later on, some additional examples are presented to study the influence of several ITC conditions, i.e., the presence of TIM doped with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and/or interstitial boundary conditions, in the thermoelastic contact variables (i.e., the contact area, the contact tractions, the temperature or the thermal flux distributions) of this kind of problems.