MODELING AND DESIGN OF CONTACTS IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS
Year: 2011
Editor: Culley, S.J.; Hicks, B.J.; McAloone, T.C.; Howard, T.J. & Lindemann, U.
Author: Albers, Albert; Martin, Paul; Lorentz, Benoit
Series: ICED
Section: Product and Systems Design
Page(s): 268-277
Abstract
The presented paper focuses on modeling and simulation of electrical connector contacts’ behavior and associated design. New solutions are developed, based on the Contact & Channel Approach validated by simulation and experiment. Primary parameters such as contact resistance, tribological and thermal behavior, contact force, material and connector size strongly influence electrical connector’s properties. Therefore, a great deal of experience or effort is needed to design application specific solutions mastering preceding interrelated parameters. However, many state of the art electrical connectors are, especially for high currents, designed by trial and error processes. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the design process, appropriate models are needed. To generate new design solutions, models of a certain level of abstraction are needed. In addition to this, holistic computer-aided models enable the prediction of connector’s electrical and mechanical performance. Here, design solutions are created based on the Contact & Channel Approach. At the same time a Finite Element Model is built in order to investigate the behavior of designed connector’s prototypes.
Keywords: PRODUCT DESIGN; MODELLING; FINITE ELEMENT METHOD; ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR; CONTACT AND CHANNEL MODEL