Thermal and electrical resistances of bolted joints between plates of unequal thickness

Experiments were performed to study contact radius and thermal/electrical resistance across the bolted joints of two unequal thickness plates. Contact radius measurements were obtained for polycarbonate plastic plates of various thickness combinations over a range of contact pressure and washer head radius. Thermal and electrical resistance measurements were also obtained for the bolted joint contact of oxygen free copper plates. Models were developed to predict the contact radius, thermal and electrical resistance across the bolted joint interface. The comparison between the measurements and model predictions showed very good agreement.<>