Abstract: Spacecraft's thermal operating environment is cyclical alternating high and low temperatures, which requires structures with high thermal protective, wherein the thermal contact conductivity between the components has played a very important role with the heat transfer efficiency. To simulates the micro convex surface deformation of the contact area by using analytical normal contact model. It calculates thermal contact resistance under the influence of elastic or plasticity contact deformation by considering thermal contraction in micro passageway, then puts the value into the finite element software to simulate thermal radiation at high temperature, at last estimates transient thermal contact conductance. The new method of estimating high-temperature thermal contact conductivity to fill the blank in the study of low-temperature thermal contact conductivity without considering the impact of thermal radiation, to provide reference for the design and reliability assessment of thermal protection structures.

Key words: finite element simulation, numerical simulation, surface morphology, thermal contact resistance, thermal radiation