Simulation and Experimental Study of the Influence of Temperature Stress on the Intermittent Fault of an Electrical Connector

The electrical connector is an important basic element, and its electrical contact performance is easily changed by ambient factors, such as temperature, resulting in various intermittent and permanent faults of the electrical connector. The intermittent faults of the electrical connector are difficult to reproduce, raising serious challenges to equipment availability and mission success. This paper addresses the problem of the intermittent faults of electrical connectors caused by ambient temperature stress and provides qualitative analyses of the impacts of temperature stress on electrical contacts. A finite element simulation model of the contact pairs of electrical connectors is established. The characteristics of intermittent faults at different temperature stress levels for electrical connectors with different contact pair sizes and materials are simulated and analysed. Based on this simulation analysis, experimental studies are conducted on the mechanisms of different temperature stress levels, different contact pair sizes and materials on the intermittent faults of electrical connectors. The results show that external temperature stress and temperature impacts obviously influence the contact performance of the electrical connector and that random intermittent faults occur. The more extreme the temperature and the higher the temperature change rate are, the more obvious their influences.