Design Optimization of Electrical Power Contact Using Finite Element Method

Abstract

Automotive connectors in modern car generations are submitted to high current; this can cause many problems and requires the minimization of their electrical contact resistances. The new major contribution of this work is the optimization by finite element method of contact resistance, contact temperature, design, and mechanical stress of sphere/plane contact samples. These contact samples were made with recent high-copper alloys and were subjected to indentation loading. Experimental tests were carried out in order to validate the developed numerical model and to select the material which presents a low contact temperature and contact resistance. Another model with multipoint contacts was developed in order to minimize electrical contact resistance and contact temperature. Shape optimization results indicate that the volume of contact samples was reduced by 12%. The results show also for the model with multipoint contacts that the contact resistance was reduced by 41%, contact temperature by 22% and maximum Von Mises stress by 49%. These several gains are more interesting for the connector designers.