This paper developes a model to predict the thermal contact resistance of the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs). The model includes the effects of CNT array properties and surface roughness, with the aim of providing useful information for optimizing CNT array thermal contact resistance. The contact resistance is consisted of two parts: interfacial thermal resistance and constriction thermal resistance. The carbon nanotube (CNT) is treated as a thin elastic rod and macroscopic mechanical is used to calculate the mechanical properties of CNT. Greenwood-Williamson (GW) model is used to describe the roughness. The interfacial thermal resistance is calculated by molecular dynamics. The calculated values are in good agreement with experimental data. The interfacial thermal resistance is the domain major factor.

Volume Subject Area:
Computational Methods in Micro/Nanoscale Transport
Topics:
Carbon nanotubes, Thermal resistance, Contact resistance, Interfacial thermal resistance, Surface roughness, Mechanical properties, Molecular dynamics
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